Has anyone ever left sleeping baby in car to nip into shop? Feel like worst mum in the world!

[CH1994]

Today I had hands down the worst experience of my life I was out with my 9 month old daughter when she fell asleep in the car. I desperately needed nappies so I thought right where can I go where I can run in quickly, so I picked a store with a glass front and where I knew the nappies were at the front. I parked the car right at the front so I could see the car from the store and ran in quickly to grab nappies ( I have never done this before and did feel uncomfortable but knew my daughter would scream if woken and it just seemed a quick easy option) anyway once at the till (car still in sight) a women came in shouting someone has left their baby in the car I said yes she's mine she's asleep and I've ran in quickly for these nappies I can see the car from in here. She continued to shout at me in front of the whole store asking why I would leave my baby like that and that she was going to call the police. I honestly wanted the ground to swallow me up. A nice man asked if I wanted to go in front of him but I ran out of the store. I have been so upset since and feel like I'm the worst mum in the world. I just want to hide for the rest of my life. So I was wondering if any other mums have left there sleeping baby in the car to grab something quickly? Was this such a terrible thing to do?

The exact same thing happened to me (if you live in Tamworth there is a lady who specializes in throwing hysterics if she can find a child in a car).

I told her to mind her own business, but she spent a good five minutes screeching and threatening to call the newspapers before her husband got her back into the car. Like you I felt surprisingly shaken up afterwards, but the car was never out of my sight - she was just being a busybody. DS luckily wasn't woken by her theatricals.

I left my sleeping 21 month old in his car seat in the cool shade of the forecourt while I went into pay for my fuel yesterday. No one gave him a second glance and I kept my eyes on him at all times. This woman sounds unhinged, don't take it to heart.

Yeah, I've done that before - there's no point waking a sleeping child if you can see them in the car the whole time. I wouldn't do it if they were out of sight, or if I was going to be more than a couple of minutes, but in the situation you described- absolutely fine.

Thank you I think it was just the way she behaved and shouted at me in front of so many people she made me sound like such a bad mum! I didn't even know what to say but it really did get to me and I spent most of the afternoon crying, I guess I didn't know where I stood with it and if I could actually get in trouble but have since looked up the laws and there is none on leaving your child in your car apparently it is based on your judgement!

Lots of MNetters will loathe me for this...but I leave my kids in the car when I go and pay for petrol. The horror!

You poor thing. It happened recently outside our school and the mum had full view of the car at all times. A complete busybody started on her.

I used to leave dd1 in the car at the petrol station but hated it and stopped when she was about 18m(before that I'd try and fill up when husband was there but I did leave her in lots of times). She's nearly 4 now and I'd never leave either of mine in, sleeping or not. I'm so glad my petrol station started pay at the pump last year

I'm sure i did this when mine were little. Ignore the nasty drama queen woman

When I first had ds I parked up at Boots, walked across the carpark before I remembered I had taken ds with me....

Settles down with popcorn to wait for the drama....

I've never needed to do it (only because my local petrol station has Pay At Pump) but I would if I had to.

Please just bear in mind that most people in the shop were probably much more aghast at that busybody's hysterics than the thought of leaving a perfectly safe sleeping baby in a car where you could still see her.

I once walked past a baby crying in a car in my street so I waited until the mum came back. If she’d been a long time I would be knocked on doors etc.
The woman screaming at you was being ridiculous. She was more concerned about making you feel like crap than the safety of your baby. Honestly don’t let her get to you.

Yes. And she survived unscathed

Of course you aren’t a bad mum, that woman sounds deranged! I do this in the same situ as many other posters here - nipping in to pay for fuel! It took me a long time to feel bold enough to, knowing how much people love to judge a new mum! DD is 15 months now, and it’s only if I can see the car and get a pump right by the shop door. What’s the point in waking her for a minute? Hope you are ok, don’t let her get to you, some people are judgy morons x

I would have screamed back at the crazy lady. None of her business. We've all done it anyway.

Of course!

It's hard, I know, but try to not let it bother you. Ridiculous woman. Making me angry just thinking about her!

How awful, I would feel really shaken too. I’ve paid for petrol and left my baby in the car. The car was locked and I had full sight of the car at all times. Try and forgot about it OP

Two words : tinted windows.

Busybodies can't stick their beaks in if they can't see.

Yes I have done. When I had ds1 I never ever would have left them. Then came number 2, then 3, then 4. I pop in to get bread, pay for petrol etc. I justify it by thinking it's safer for me than trying to manage 3 smaller children through forecourts and in and out of on street parking. It's not ideal and I feel awful for doing it.

We’ve all done it anyway

Well not all of us have

But screaming at you like that was totally over the top and she sounds rather unhinged

Yes. I've done this loads, some people will have, some people won't, you made a full risk assessment before deciding it was the best course of action, obviously you love you child and care for their safety and of course there is always the slim possibility that the store doors could inexplicably lock you inside, unable to get to your hysterical child, but equally you could slip in the shower and knock yourself out for the same amount of time that you might get stuck in a shop. You did nothing wrong and the woman sounds deranged.

Tinted windows are your friend. No one can easily see in. Also a motion sensor onside the car, so the alarm goes off when baby wakes up and moves.
I used to leave mine asleep in the car on the driveway and check every few minutes while I put the shopping away. Then come back and sit in the car.
Next door neighbour was a retired health visitor and never said a thing.

I've done it and my dcs are not scarred about their abandonment

*inside the car

That woman is deranged and has no life