Parent and child parking spaces

[Blueeyedblondie]

What's the etiquette on using these parent and child spaces when you're heavily pregnant with your first child? I've just had to climb over the passenger seat to get into my car because some complete idiot had parked so close to my drivers side that I had no hope in hell of getting in.
It's made me so grumpy that I now want to park in the parent and child spaces so this doesn't happen again but as I don't already have a child, will this be frowned upon?

My local Asda’s parent and child parking spaces also say for expectant mothers :) I would say go for it.

I don’t mind a pregnant person using the space at all.

What I do mind is people with 10 year olds who think they should still park there. The spaces are for babies and toddlers where you need to assemble pushchairs, put car seats in, open doors wide enough to strap your child in. Not for children who are old enough to get themselves in and out of the door.

I think the spaces should be moved to further away from the shop entrances so they are less appealing to people with older/no children. I don’t mind walking, my toddler is either in a pushchair or holding my hand. I just need the extra space around the car.

See, I don’t even mind older children using them - the ones near me often specify up to 12. I do deeply mind white van folk and randomers in sports cars though (as it is round my way), and I tend to utter a “Oh dear, you seem to have forgotten your child, how silly of you” or similar at them. And (if I didn’t have a toddler with me, oh the irony) I’d block them in and go for a long coffee. The bays are for people who need them. If you don’t need them, don’t use them. These threads always run to hundreds of posts though, so presumably there’s an argument to be had.

If you need the extra space to manoeuvre in and out, use the p&c parking.

I’d be quite happy for a pregnant woman to take the last p&c parking space and to park at the other end of the car park with all of my children. Having had PGP and all the other discomfort of pregnancy and being so big, I think I struggled more in the last trimester than once they were born.

That said, most car parks don’t enforce who can park in them anyway but it’s probably best to double check as the hassle of a fine wouldn’t have been welcomed by me when heavily pregnant either.

The bays are for people who need them. If you don’t need them, don’t use them. These threads always run to hundreds of posts though, so presumably there’s an argument to be had.

I think you'll find that the argument is that there are many other sorts of people who are equally in need and deserving of consideration as a young able bodied person who happens to have a child.

It would depend on if there were lots of spaces or not to me. If you get one of the last few spaces then I would think it was rather unfair a parent with a small child would have to circle the car park or go to another supermarket. Some parents need the space on both sides. But if there's a lot of spaces I'd consider it acceptable.
Judge it based on how busy the parent & child spots there are at that time!

Although it does really annoy me when I see a child get into the car themselves. If they're old enough to open the door, get themselves in and buckle up.. then you shouldn't park there.

They're not legally protected spaces, anyone can use them. Go ahead OP.

Anyone can use them. Order of dibs is usually - disabled person with permit, disabled person without permit, parent with toddler, pregnant woman, and last of all parent with baby.

Technically it's actually the car parks choice if they 'allow' pregnant ladies to park in parent & child, I've never even seen anyone from a shop/supermarket question anyone parking in those spaces anyway so I think it's just common sence on who can park there... I've done it plenty of times when I've parked further down the carpark when I dont have my kids with me away from other cars I come back to find cars parked either side of me and half the time they park slanted so I struggle like mad to get into my car I'm too big now to be able to climb over the passenger side too.

I personally think I would rather a pregnant lady be parked there than someone who doesn't need to be parked there and who have parked just for convenience to being closer to the shop. I have parked there several times without having my kids with me whilst being pregnant but that's usually in a morning when the carpark is pretty empty and majority of the P&C spaces are free xx

They're meant to be for pregnant women too. When I was pregnant the first time (and could barely walk from two months gone, thanks to my shitty genes) I was shown the small print which said I was allowed to use the spaces at Tesco, and so I got myself a bump on board window thingy. I was so grateful for that.

Up until this week I wouldn’t have considered it (almost 39 weeks) However on both Monday and Tuesday found myself parked next to 2 pathetically parked cars - one actually parked over my white line into my space - thankfully at such a ridiculous angle I could only just get into my drivers door. This and the fact I can now barely walk means I would seriously consider it (but still feel bad about it)

Perfectly fine. Technically under Sainsbury's ts and cs I could still use a P&C space with DD2 who is ten years old. I'd say you have considerably more need of it than I do.

I think that there are times that you don't have to be a parent with child to use those spaces. Eg no blue badge spaces left, passenger on crutches
I usually see a pregnant lady pic in the parent and child area of my local shops and wouldn't think anything if a pregnant lady used a spot.

Just use them. Some people probably will "frown upon" it but I would just do it anyway. You are a parent with a child, just the child is inside your uterus. I think heavily pregnant women have more claim to these spaces than people with kids age 10+ who aren't even in a carseat.

I personally think I would rather a pregnant lady be parked there than someone who doesn't need to be parked there and who have parked just for convenience to being closer to the shop

This, an asda store near us has these spaces by the front door and the amount of times we've parked up and seen people who aren't pregnant, don't have children and perfectly able to walk just take the spaces.

Those are the people who shouldnt be using them.

@HoldingOnForAHoliday if people have genuine mobility issues then they would have reason for a blue badge? And I am carrying a child...

I'm talking about people who use it to park close to the shop who have no issues walking but do have issues waiting. I have had plenty of experience not being able to get into a P&C bay with a newborn asleep in the car seat. It is very difficult. I don't intend to use them after I give birth if the kids are NOT with me. I have also only used them since my bump has made it difficult to get in and out of the car (the last week or so).

I wouldn't bat and eyelid at any other pregnant women doing the same. Just as I would offer a seat on a bus or train.

if people have genuine mobility issues then they would have reason for a blue badge?

It’s really hard to get a blue badge. Plenty of people don’t get them, despite having genuine mobility problems.

I wouldn't think twice about a heavily pregnant woman using them. Haven't forgotten the time I had to ask a stranger to get my car out of a space so I could get back in it when I was pg (the cars were parked further away either side when I had arrived). Crack on OP.

I would say YES - you can park there. You do have a child with you.

No she doesn't. She has a foetus with her.

PurpleDaisies my father was turned down for a blue badge. He was in his nineties and needed two sticks to walk. My daughter has also recently been refused a badge. She has EDS and frequently needs to use a wheelchair or crutches to get around. Contrary to some peoples opinion these badges are not given away like confetti.

if people have genuine mobility issues then they would have reason for a blue badge if only that were true.

Does it work the other way round?

If I drive my elderly - but not disabled - parent to the supermarket, does it technically still count as parent and child parking 🤔

Definitely pregnant women should use parent and child is they need to. They're huge because there's a person on their front, white van driver's beer bellies are big because they're fat.