Is it ever acceptable to..

[moomin35]

...leave your baby in the car if you are going to be 5 minutes max. ie. paying at a petrol station, parking directly outside & popping into a shop etc?

[Acunningruse]

Yes to petrol station where I can see the car, delivering somehing to a house, posting letter in post box.No to a shop where the car wouldn't be in view.

[Only1scoop]

Have done it at petrol station. Never to shop across a road though.

[evertonmint]

If in full view all the time, yes. For me that is:
Petrol station
Bakers (big glass window, parking right outside)
Cash machine outside bank

Only exception is outside nursery, yes as it is a car park down a private dead-end lane with no passers by.

Otherwise, no, never.

6yo DS keeps begging to be left while I go into Tesco with his 2 younger siblings. I say no, although this is in large part because he's the only one who is a help rather than a hindrance in the supermarket

[PastaBow]

Only at the petrol station. All those saying 'no, I take my baby in to pay' clearly only have one baby in an infant carrier.

I can't imagine unstrapping my two year old and carrying baby in car seat across forecourt.

I've been driving for 15 years and have never seen anyone take a toddler into the shop so I can only conclude the majority of drivers leave them.

[PenguinsHatchedAnEgg]

I look out for 'pay at pump', but the thought of unstrapping three children, traipsing across the forecourt with them (trying to avoid the middle one legging it into the path of a car), and turning a 2 minute job into a 15 minute job just doesn't stack up for me.

[EmmanuelWoganberry]

freedom I was joking.

[Boysclothes]

Yes I do this all the time. If I can see car from where I'm going I will leave him.

[TheSkiingGardener]

Yes if I can see the car. I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old and the 4 year old knows to jump in the front and sound the horn if he needs me too.

[PandaNot]

In 25ish years of driving I have never seen anyone take their children in to pay for petrol. Admittedly for a lot of those years I might not have noticed but since joining mumsnet (many years ago now) I have looked specifically and have yet to spot anyone.

[zippey]

I do this all the time when paying for petrol - such a hassle, taking them out of car seat and back in again.

I do it on occasions when njipping to the shops too, though I do sweat it, and if its a big car park, it can be a bit panicky to figure out where you parked!

[vestandknickers]

Yes, I always did at a petrol station. Not sure I would have done at a shop. There is always a very good view of the car in a petrol station which is why it is different.

[mumofboyo]

I leave my just-turned 3 yr old and nearly 2 yr old in the car when paying for petrol or nipping to the cash machine. I also leave them in the car when I've just strapped them in before realising I need a wee or have forgotten something so quickly run into the house, or when we've got home with a trillion bags: it's easier to get that lot in first before getting the kids out.

[somewheresomehow]

petrol yes , shop/s no

[WhatsMyAgeAgain]

Only when paying for petrol or if I've forgotten something in the house. Can't think of any other occasion when I would leave baby in the car.

[PinkAndBlueBedtimeBears]

Another occasion I leave them in the car? If one or both are asleep..
We live in a flat building which is about 1min walk from our car park then up two flights of stairs..

Dd (18mo) if asleep will transfer to her cot, but obviously needs to be carried with two arms.. So ds (2 weeks) is left in the car in his car seat whilst I take dd up then I go back down for him.. If dd is awake she can walk..

[pjsgalore]

I do. As long as the car is in sight. I remember reading a post about this where someone had said it was probably more dangerous to carry a child across a busy forecourt then it was to leave them in the car for a few minutes. And I thought that was quite a good point!