So does no-one else leave their baby outside the shop in the buggy any more then?

[KathyMCMLXXII]

Just wondered because I am the only person I know in RL that does this!

I wouldn't leave him outside Sainsburys for an hour or anything, but when it's a little shop and either I'm only going to be a moment, or I can see out of the window, it doesn't bother me a bit.

Surely it's the easiest thing to do?

Never. I wouldn't leave my handbag on the buggy and leave that outside so there is no way I would leave my DS who is so much more precious!

I avoid getting petrol on my own so one of us can stay in the car with him. I did have to get petrol once when he was tiny so took his car seat in with me to pay. I have a hippychick hip seat in the car for such occasions now he is older.

Good point about your bag eli.

I regularly lose my children in public places anyway, even when I'm trying not to, so I can't get too anxious about strangers - am far more worried about cars and them getting run over. at least if they're pinned into a buggy they aren't running into the road, which is my nightmare.

never. Don't even leave him in the car or pram outside our house (unless back garden)

You know I've been tempted to at the petrol station and if I have to go to the pharmacy and dd is asleep in the car (once she wakes up she won't fall asleep again adn I have an irritable child all day) but then someone told me that it is illeagal to leave a child alone in a car. Is that really true? I haven't done it sofar but if I knew for sure it wasn't illegal I would do it if I just nipped out to pay and could still see her.

You know I've been tempted to at the petrol station and if I have to go to the pharmacy and dd is asleep in the car (once she wakes up she won't fall asleep again adn I have an irritable child all day) but then someone told me that it is illeagal to leave a child alone in a car. Is that really true? I haven't done it sofar but if I knew for sure it wasn't illegal I would do it if I just nipped out to pay and could still see her.

There are many, many more people who would steal a bag than there are people who would steal a baby.

The resale value is not as good.

I live on a very safe island so it wouldn't really be a problem leaving them outside a small shop when they can be seen out the window at all times....
...but my 2 are the best escape artists ever..they would immediately get out of the reins and run off. I do however leave them in their car seats for a few secs when getting the others from school.

xx

Occasionally, when popping into a local shop and the counter is right next to the doorway, I live in SE London but the area feels safe enough, Olihan's post pretty much sums it up for me.

Never

this is weird as i was going to post about this.i have been feeling like such a bad mum as last week i left my 6m dd outside the local newsagents-which is off the road above the road iyswim.i was literally 5secs, ran in grabbed a paper and ran out.i have been feeling so bad ever since i dont know what possessed me to do it and have been thinking about what if ever since.i couldnt see her either.i was a few secs but i would never ever do it again

A friend of mine left her two kids sleeping in the car whilst she popped into a shop came back out they were still asleep so she popped into another one, when she came out that time there were 2 policemen who gave her a bit of a talking too and said that they would call social services (don;t think they ever did but it really shook her up.

Another time I called to check a reference of a nanny and the previous employers DD answered the phone, she was greatly distressed as she didn;t know where her mum was and didn;t recognise where she was (she was with a younger sibling who was even more distressed) after trying to calm her down for about 5 mins, her mum came on the phone, they had been left in a car for about 5 mins outside of grandma's house, they were asleep when she went in must have woken up pretty soon.

I agree about Shirley Hughes Spidermama! I keep buying her books for DS because I love the pictures of 'my' childhood.

i cant believe people have the trust in society to do this anymore!
i would NEVER do it purely for the fact that are alot of wierdos out there, i know it wouldnt be all that likely for someone to snatch a baby but i wouldnt want to take the risk.
if anything ever happened to ds because id decided to leave him outside the shop in his pushchair i could never forgive myself.

i would not leave my children outside in the buggy, but will pop into a shop if i'm parked right outside and can see them through the window. they seem less vulnerable in the car, somehow.

ps my local co op had a delivery recently and when i pointed out that i couldnt get buggy through the entrance, the checkout woman told me to leave dd outside

Rochwen, it is usually safer for you to leave your child in the car at the petrol station. It is not illegal to leave your child in the car alone per se, but there is a crime of neglect. So leaving your child safely locked it eh car whilst you pay for petrolwould be fine, but a 2 hour trip round Tescos could end in trouble. There isn't a precise time limmit or even age limit as every child is different, and circumstances are different.

I said earlier on the thread that overseas it is more common for petrol retailers to require you to leave your children in the cars (and after some accidents I know that some Esso stations are doing the same here).

My mum has a story about leaving me in the pram outside a shop in tooting (c1978). She says there was always a row of prams outside a shop in those days. Anyway, mum and dad had got home and were unlocking the front door when they realised neither of them had the baby... They'd left me there in my pram! Lucky for them I was still there when they got back to the shop.

I'm pregnant with my first now and expecting some trouble adjusting to my new responsibilities too! Hope I don't leave it outside a shop and go home though!

I do leave them outside small shops where I can see them AND I leave them in the car when I pay for petrol AND I leave them in the car if they're asleep and I'm unloading the shopping (we have no drive or garage, so car is parked on road) AND I leave them in the car if I have to pop into the house because I've forgotten something. YOU LOCK THE CAR; YOU CAN SEE THEM THROUGH THE SHOP WINDOW.
They are my beautiful babies and I love them more than anything, but honestly, where would you draw the line? Not let them go to a friends house because said friend might have a weirdo visitor? Hold their hands every second of every day so they never learn any independance? Teach them to be so terrified and suspicious of people they don't know that they never ask for help? We are bringing up the next generation (moody music and soft focus please) and we want them to be independent, intelligent and confident. Or at least I do.

OK rant over, I'm going to get a beer

Coffeholic you drink BEER? Don't you know the RISKS? I would never drink beer. I have heard that beer makes some people become alcoholics

My God, this is going to make out to be such a bad mother, but, Yes I have left dd out side shops where I can see thru the window, yes left her in car whilst I pay for petrol and I also leave them in the car asleep in the drive whilst I unpack car or attend to my horses whilst periodically checking on her.

I think we are far too obsessed with safety/abduction/paedo etc etc.
I agree totally with Coffeeholic, we have to rear children in a safe but sensible way. DD is not afraid of people or dogs, and is confident independant and very friendly to strage people and dogs
However, I do live in a rural area, and feel very safe.

I think that I am the crappest mum in the world because I do it. I would rather not do it but to be totally honest it is just the thought of the hassle and upset it will cause by taking ds out of the car. I do it to pop into shops when I know i will only be a couple of minutes and the car is usually 8 times out of ten in sight but I have wondered if it means that underneath I don't care enough about my child?!
I have never left pram outside though. I am on my own, dh is away and all family live away. Sometimes, I enjoy that couple of minutes peace and wonder am I evil?

i dont understand why everyone is saying they leave their child outside the shop but "they can see them through the window".so are you all telling me you go into the shop, with your eyes fixed on your child the whole time, pick up everything you need...without looking away of course and without falling over everything because you are so busy watching your child? i think we are all trying to justify ourselves.....does anyone admit that ok,they do it no excuses?

i dont want ds to be terrified of everything as he is growing up and of course i want him to be brought up to be confident independant and intelligent, wouldnt go quite as far as holding his hand all his life or the friends house thing but................
as a baby i wouldnt leave him outside a shop (or as a young child come to that) because you hear about terrible things on the news and in the papers every day and its so scary i just wouldnt risk leaving him, not even for a minuite!
and i dont think that is mollycoddling (i think thats how you spell it or being too overprotective i think that its just being sensible in this day and age!
sorry, i am not trying to undermine anyones opinions or trying to argue with anyone but want to get my point across about this!!!

Only read original post, but if I find it awkward to get into a shop, I stick my head through the door and holler for what I want.