At what age did you leave your child in the car while you went into a shop for 15 minutes

[nappyaddict]

A) In a shop where you can see the car out of the window

B) In a shop where you can't see the car out of the window

Someone posted these articles on facebook and it got me thinking

http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/17/yes-you-can-leave-your-kids-in-the-car-for-a-few-minutes/

http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/do-you-ever-leave-kids-unattended-in-the-car/

Read those articles and your question is slightly different in that those articles are talking about significantly less time than 15 mins. My thinking is that until DD is old enough to understand concept of 15 minutes and that mummy WILL be back I cannot leave her - unrelated to risk assessment - if I had more than one I would need to ajust maybe leaving an older child and taking the younger one.

The articles were saying they have to justify leaving the child to pay for fuel which is just necessary if you can't pay at pump as taking them out would pose a higher risk or if was at tip you are not allowed to - if was just outside vehicle for 2 mins would be younger baby (atm we have separation anxiety so DD usually ends up popped in a sling but this is more to do with her needs rather than dangers iyswim?).

FWIW anyone who has to leave their bag in the back in order to remember their baby's there are the ones who really need their heads seeing to...

Well it got me thinking cos when I've been to Tesco Express for petrol I have often had to queue for that amount of time because it's not just people paying for petrol it's people paying for a trolley full of a shopping as well.

My children are 11 and 8 and I have probably been leaving them in the car for 3 years or so. BUT only for 5 minutes, if I was going to be as long as 15 I'd probably still insist they came in with me.

My parents used to do this with me when I was 4 or 5 I believe - at normal shops, not just paying for fuel. This was a different country though so I could usually see them in the shop as we were parked directly outside.

They would leave the engine on with the AC running, but I was sufficiently young dumb to be scared by the noise and I thought it meant the car might explode at any moment. I never thought to mention this to my parents though, so they honestly believed I was fine!! Just mentioning it as other kids might feel the same but not say so.

I've left DS (1yr) when paying for petrol but have rarely been longer than 5 min. Not sure I'd feel safe leaving him for longer TBH

Petrol stations where car is on view all the time ... from birth. Morrisons carpark... from about eight or nine.

Cogito Is that for 15 minutes? What about if it wasn't a petrol station but it was a shop where you could see the car the whole time or if it was a petrol station express type shop but you were going in to get a few groceries.

I have a 3 year old and 9 month old. I have left them in car when paying for petrol or when I've run into a shop like spar and they are asleep and I can see the car from till. Never more than a couple of minutes tops. Definatley wouldn't leave them for 15 minutes.

Petrol station yes,all the rest no.

I thought it was illegal

My son is 6, I have left him in the car for a few minutes whilst I run into the supermarket for milk or bread. I take DD age 3 with me. This is because he doesnt want to come.

If I can see the car, such as petrol then I have left them from quite young. For example if DD is asleep when I do the school run I will run over and grab DS and leave her in the locked car - I can see the car from where he comes out and if she moved the alarm would go off.

"Cogito Is that for 15 minutes?"

Only long enough to pay for the petrol and maybe a newspaper. Usually at the supermarket filling station after buying all the groceries. 5 minutes tops depending on the length of the queue

About 12

but that's cos she's a cling on

I would urge people,please dont do this.

Don't do what?

see my post 12.06pm

I live in a quiet and very safe village. If l need to pop in for milk/bread then l leave both my kids in the car, locked of course. Especially difficult to disturb them when they're sleeping.

same again for when dropping off older one at pre-school as l couldn't possibly help her out of her coat/go to the loo when there's no where to pop my son for a minute and unfortunately other mums don't offer to help

I've never left them in the car yet, DD1 is 7, DD2 is 2.10 and DS1 is 7 weeks.

Wherever possible, I go for diesel on my own, or when DH can come too, same for food shopping. Local village shop is quicker to walk to, even with 3 x DCs :)

School run can be a PITA if driving, but if it's raining or DD2 is sleeping, one of the other mums will bring DD1 to the car for me, on the very rare occasion that we don't walk....

I can't see the car from the school, can't even park on the same road as school, so I definitely wouldn't leave them in the car.

I question the "its illegal" viewpoint. Many times I've been on a petrol forecourt next to a police man, or in the local shop with one behind me in queue and had the kids in the car (in sight)

I leave ds1 in the car aged five outside the nursery when dropping ds2 off in the mornings. And go where the car can't be seen. But that's for a couple of minutes.

Never have and never would. Just take them with you, ffs.

Think it depends on where you live.....

I wuld leave them for 5 mins if I could see the car from the shop right from birth really. But would never leave them for 15 mins at all

"Just take them with you, ffs."

So unbuckle a sleeping baby, get an earful for waking it up, carry it protesting into a petrol station, juggle baby, purse and credit cards, leave again with baby still shouting the place down and buckle it back in .... is preferable?

....to losing your baby forever.Yes