When are your kids too old for you to use the Parent parking spaces at supermarket (if they have no additional needs)?

[Janefx40]

Just wondering really. My DD is 6 (I also have a younger boy but he wasn’t there). For context the spaces at our local are limited…there is usually one available but often only one and sometimes they are full.

Obviously if kids have neurodiversity, physical needs or any other specific reason to be closer to the shop then that’s different.

For kids with no additional needs and are reasonably good at not running off (still 6 so can happen nevertheless), would you park in the parent and child?

My kid's officialy a child until theyre 18. So until then, probably

About 5 I'd say

Use them if you genuinely need them, leave them for people who do need them otherwise.

People should have smaller cars and walk a few steps further.

I would say they are generally intended for making it easier to get children in and out of car seats so when you stop using a car seat and they can do their own seatbelt.

how about on your own with a literal babe in arms? Every time I went to the supermarket I end up lugging my baby across the carpark because people park with their 6 year olds or are hanging around in the car while the other parent shops.

I feel like if a child can open the door themselves and then get out their car seat and out the car safely then thats too old.

I feel like if a child can open the door themselves and then get out their car seat and out the car safely then thats too old.

This.

Near me Tesco is 5 and an under, other supermarkets are 12 and under. It’s up to the supermarket as the owner of the carpark to define their rules based on what they think is reasonable and how they want their carpark to be used.

We had smaller cars in parking spaces the same size as now

My 5 year old is somewhat useless at putting her seatbelt on. So I would choose one of the spots as I have to have the door open pretty wide to lean in to buckle her in (also the car isn’t small). I also have a 2 year old in a rear facing harness seat. Honestly I need a similar amount of space to get each child in. So until my youngest can properly do her sear belt?
Based on my eldest I would say around 7?

I haven’t used them in years but I remember a lady watching me take the last one as she got out of her car nearby. She had a pram and looked livid before she saw I was pregnant and realised I was getting a three year old and a five year old out too. She kind of looked embarrassed then and left. I’m pretty sure before this she was about to let rip at me, she looked waaaayyyyy too angry for the situation

You cannot be serious. This is the reason at 38 weeks pregnant I struggle in regular spaces to get my 2 year old out. So selfish.

Do you mean a five point carseat? Mine were in high back boosters until they started secondary (we're a short family) but there was no need for the parent and child spaces before then.

Having said that because my kids were short they were in a five point carseat longer than normal and were able to open the buckle by themselves by the end but still were not heavy enough for the high backed booster.

This 100% these spaces exist so you have the extra space to get car seats and prams in and out and strap your child in safely, once you don't need to do any of that I wouldn't use them. I prefer when shops don't actually put them right near the door as people are less likely to use them for convenience then

I stopped once they could safely open the car door themselves and get in and out on their own, so around 5/6.

Edited to add: I also agree that these spaces don't need to be anywhere near the front door. Stick them on the other side of the car park, that would stop them filling up with people who don't need them. There does need to be trolleys kept near them though so people can transfer their young babies/toddlers into the trolleys without having to walk them across the car park.

I would assume you stop using when you don’t need to help them in / out of the car anymore & they can strap themselves in.

I really don’t mind walking. I prefer parking further away as I have a large car which is normal spaces struggle to fit in older car parks. As such I park further away and walk. If the car park is fuller and that isn’t possible I use the P&C (with my 8 year old) if needed. However preference is park where less cars are.

Son knows to wait for me to open to door so he doesn’t swing it open and into someone else’s car.

Yes but at 12 I was physically and mentally more than capable of opening a car door slowly and safely to get out without damaging anyone else’s.

Unless the child is disabled in any way, shape or form I think it’s common sense not to park in them. I don’t think I’d use them past the age my child can unbuckle their car seat, I can then go around and open their door to avoid hitting the other car so they can jump out. It’s just common sense to leave them free for people who actually need them. I’ve got a 2 year old who’s rear facing and in a spin seat yet I’d still give up a parent and child parking space if it meant a person with a newborn were able to have the room to set up the pram safely out of the road and get their tiny baby out.

When they don’t need a pushchair. That’s the whole point of the parent/child spaces. If they’re in one once they’ve turned 3 you need to have a long hard think about why.

We have had a car dented by a child who opened their door into a hire car we had, albeit it was a little windy so the weather may have had a play in it.

The parent really was standoffish when we asked for their insurance details, citing it was only a little dent and their child was only 11 and what do we expect when we park in a public car park and thanked us for likely upping her insurance for the following year.

I have young and older kids myself, so understand accidents happen, unfortunately for this parent in question, we were in a hire car and had to pay excess for any damage, no way were we going to be responsible for that.

This is why I don't judge anyone with older children parking in the parent and child spaces, she was clearly upset and I felt bad for her but had she parked in the wider space, it likely would never have happened.

I'd say about 6. DD is 5 and still needs help getting in and out so the space is useful. In the next few months we'll probably stop using them.

Surely the point of parent child parking is the width! Therefore the ability to take your child out of the car without damaging surrounding vehicles.

I’ll use them right up until my youngest is 12.

I like the extra space - because people have no respect for other people’s belongings and will happily ram their car door in to mine, and I don’t want a car covered in scratches and dents.

when I’m not with my children I will either find a parallel parking spot, or Asda actually have the same cross hatching either side of their electric car charging spaces (which don’t work) so I’ll park there.

I actually checked the sign in Sainsbury’s the other day as I felt a bit cheeky using the space with my 4 year old. The sign said any child under 12! I always thought the spaces were so you could open the car doors more with the extra space around the car and obviously the closer proximity to the shop! 🤣