Am I a bad mother if

[millibear]

I leave my child locked in the car in their car seat for five mins when i pop in the shop? Just wondering!

Sorry, Quite a few threads on this already I see, . I am really quite amazed. My eldest is 4yo and this is the first time I have ever considered that maybe I shouldnt be doing this. I just thought everyone did it.

I leave ds when I pay for petrol, but can see, don't feel comfortable leaving him if I go to a shop, but like others have said thats my choice, I dont think badly of people that do, I just worry myself.

I left my eldest (ill, in PJs and dressing gown) in the car outside school while I took younger two into school & playgroup last summer through unseasonal downpour.

While I was gone (5 mins?) someone careered round the corner in the rain and crashed. Missed him, thank god, but hit the parked car next to ours, demolished a fence and a tree, and knocked herself out.

He was 10. He saw it all. He was plenty big enough to scramble out of the car alone (and did). And I still don't know if I was wrong to leave him after all, it could have happened with me in the car but I wouldn't leave one in the back and harder to get at. We trek across garage forecourts now.
Aarrghhh.

yawn

Woke me up, I can tell you...

that's exactly the kind of thing i'd worry about puss, but at 10 years old, i think it's ok to leave them in the car.

I asked DP about this topic yesterday, and he said it is bad parenting to leave little ones in a car while you go in a shop, because anything could happen, and you aren't even meant to leave a dog in a car, never mind babies (although i'm sure that's just a summer thing anyway, but i see his point)

But isn't the leaving a dog thing for a long time? It's not just for 180 seconds while you pay for petrol, is it?

Oh and don't forget the risk of spontaneous combustion

I would leave DS in the car to pay for petrol unless I though he would be distressed. Don't read about many instances in the local papers about children being crushed in cars on garage forecourts and not much chance at a garage of a run away car careering into your car I wouldn;t have thought.

Would leave him to go into a shop though, would be too worried that there would be an old lady paying her bill in 10p pieces and he would be upset at being on his own.

Anyone who hijacks my car with DS in it would need their head tested the noise of him screaming at strangers would drown out any car alarm.

sorry that should say WOULDN'T leave him to go into a shop (changes the sense somewhat!)