Leaving kids in the car alone
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
DCRunningDiva
Look at me!!! ©
|
|
|
Joined: 10 Oct 2003
Posts: 9344
Location: Washington DC Metro
|
| Back to top
|
|
 Posted: 12/28/05 - 19:02 Post subject: Leaving kids in the car alone
I've been thinking about posting this for a while but FB's thread reminded me about it. How old should your children be before you leave them in the car alone? Several scenarios:
1. You go into the grocery to shop. How old should they be?
2. You park on the curb, jump out of the car quickly, and run in to pick up your drycleaning in a small cleaner that isn't busy. How old?
3. You go to a friend's house, park in their driveway on a non-busy street with plenty of space between them and the neighbor. How old?
4. You pull up to the gas pump, pump your gas and realize you have to go inside to pay for it. How old?
I remember scenario #4 happening to me once...kinda...I was with my cousin, my son was 2-3 yrs old, her three kids were all under the age of 5. I went into the store to get a soda while she pumped the gas. A few minutes later she comes into the store WITHOUT the kids. I was FURIOUS! I put the soda down and went out to the car with the kids. I couldn't believe she left them out there by themselves. Now that I have two kids I can understand a little more but I would still never put my kids in that kind of situation.
|
|
|
|
|
j1miller
Puppy Love!
|
|
|
Joined: 07 Jul 2002
Posts: 15447
Location: Lost on trail.
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/28/05 - 19:16 Post subject: Re: Leaving kids in the car alone
1. You go into the grocery to shop. How old should they be? Never
2. You park on the curb, jump out of the car quickly, and run in to pick up your drycleaning in a small cleaner that isn't busy. How old? Never too young
3. You go to a friend's house, park in their driveway on a non-busy street with plenty of space between them and the neighbor. How old? Never too young
4. You pull up to the gas pump, pump your gas and realize you have to go inside to pay for it. How old? Never
Let me say that these have a lot to do with how long you are going to be out the car for...
FOr example.
I have a valet key. If I were picking up dry cleaning, I would leave a sleeping baby in the car, parked in the handicapped spot in front of the door, running and locked. I would take the valet key with me.... I would be able to see the car the whole time.....
That is entirely different from parking in a lot and leaving the car unrunning, etc.....
Not necessarily good, but for a baby with colic......
Just sayin.... desperate times call for desperate measures.
|
|
|
|
|
DCRunningDiva
Look at me!!! ©
|
|
|
Joined: 10 Oct 2003
Posts: 9344
Location: Washington DC Metro
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/28/05 - 19:22 Post subject: Re: Leaving kids in the car alone
| j1miller wrote: | 1. You go into the grocery to shop. How old should they be? Never
2. You park on the curb, jump out of the car quickly, and run in to pick up your drycleaning in a small cleaner that isn't busy. How old? Never too young
3. You go to a friend's house, park in their driveway on a non-busy street with plenty of space between them and the neighbor. How old? Never too young
4. You pull up to the gas pump, pump your gas and realize you have to go inside to pay for it. How old? Never
Let me say that these have a lot to do with how long you are going to be out the car for...
FOr example.
I have a valet key. If I were picking up dry cleaning, I would leave a sleeping baby in the car, parked in the handicapped spot in front of the door, running and locked. I would take the valet key with me.... I would be able to see the car the whole time.....
That is entirely different from parking in a lot and leaving the car unrunning, etc.....
Not necessarily good, but for a baby with colic......
Just sayin.... desperate times call for desperate measures. |
I would tend to disagree with the "never too young." When I had only Joshua I took him in with me no matter where I was and how long I was going to be there. Now that he is almost 7 I let him sit in the car on the curb with the car NOT running. If I'm at a friend's house I'll leave the door open and go to my friend's front door but I won't go into the house. The other day we had an unseasonably warm day and my friend left her 14 month old baby in the car with window's cracked while she went into our friend's house for about 2-3 hours. The baby was sleeping and she didn't want to wake her. She (or her DH) checked on the baby periodically. I would have NEVER done that. That baby would have been right there in the house with me...even if she was awake.
I'm just sayin...
|
|
|
|
|
j1miller
Puppy Love!
|
|
|
Joined: 07 Jul 2002
Posts: 15447
Location: Lost on trail.
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/28/05 - 19:28 Post subject: Re: Leaving kids in the car alone
| DCRunningDiva wrote: | | j1miller wrote: | 1. You go into the grocery to shop. How old should they be? Never
2. You park on the curb, jump out of the car quickly, and run in to pick up your drycleaning in a small cleaner that isn't busy. How old? Never too young
3. You go to a friend's house, park in their driveway on a non-busy street with plenty of space between them and the neighbor. How old? Never too young
4. You pull up to the gas pump, pump your gas and realize you have to go inside to pay for it. How old? Never
Let me say that these have a lot to do with how long you are going to be out the car for...
FOr example.
I have a valet key. If I were picking up dry cleaning, I would leave a sleeping baby in the car, parked in the handicapped spot in front of the door, running and locked. I would take the valet key with me.... I would be able to see the car the whole time.....
That is entirely different from parking in a lot and leaving the car unrunning, etc.....
Not necessarily good, but for a baby with colic......
Just sayin.... desperate times call for desperate measures. |
I would tend to disagree with the "never too young." When I had only Joshua I took him in with me no matter where I was and how long I was going to be there. Now that he is almost 7 I let him sit in the car on the curb with the car NOT running. If I'm at a friend's house I'll leave the door open and go to my friend's front door but I won't go into the house. The other day we had an unseasonably warm day and my friend left her 14 month old baby in the car with window's cracked while she went into our friend's house for about 2-3 hours. The baby was sleeping and she didn't want to wake her. She (or her DH) checked on the baby periodically. I would have NEVER done that. That baby would have been right there in the house with me...even if she was awake.
I'm just sayin... |
I would leave them in there for less than 5 minutes.... if I was going to be longer than that, they would have to come with me.... I was thinking more along the lines of picking something up or dropping something off....
|
|
|
|
|
brie k
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 5661
Location: where the wild things are
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/28/05 - 19:37 Post subject:
I don't know if there is a certain age for these scenarios. My boys are 9 & 5, and I don't leave them in the car to do anything, except for mornings going to school where they get in and get buckled and I'm looking for keys or sunglesses or whatever in the apartment. The Jeep is literally 3 feet out the door.
Libby is 13, so I can leave her and the boys in the car, and I don't ever leave the car running. I have the keys, the doors are locked, windows are up, and Libby knows to lay on the horn if anyone even LOOKS at her the wrong way. I cannot even remember the last time I did this though. It's such a rare occurence.
I just don't normally think about leaving the kids alone in the Jeep as being an option, and certainly not for the scenarios you've presented. If I have to do something that I don't want to have to mess with them, I just don't take them. And before Libby was old enough to stay home and watch the boys, they all went with me everywhere. To the store, to the bank, to get gas, etc. All the time. It was a hassle sometimes, but they're my kids. All it takes is one bad decision to change your life. Always better to be safe than sorry.
|
|
|
|
|
Cappy
Excelent
|
|
|
Joined: 16 May 2002
Posts: 27368
Location: Spreadsheetylvania
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/28/05 - 20:07 Post subject:
Never have left them alone, just a bad idea. The risks far outweigh any time saved
|
|
|
|
|
andydp
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 23 Sep 2003
Posts: 8122
Location: Upstate NY near Albany
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/28/05 - 20:35 Post subject:
No matter how inconvenient, for even 15 seconds. NO WAY !!!!
|
|
|
|
|
msparks
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Posts: 3182
Location: Jammin' at the Frim Fram, Frippin' in the Krotz
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/28/05 - 21:37 Post subject: Re: Leaving kids in the car alone
| DCRunningDiva wrote: | I've been thinking about posting this for a while but FB's thread reminded me about it. How old should your children be before you leave them in the car alone? Several scenarios:
|
Here's a scenario for you: You need to pop into the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. Nothing more, nothing less. So, how long will it take, five minutes, tops?
Okay, factor this one in: As soon as you walk into the store, smoke starts coming from under the dashboard. Do you know how long it will be before the occupants of the vehicle are overcome by the smoke? And, do you know how long it will be before fire reaches the interior? And, finally, do you know how long it will be before the car is, as we used to say, totally involved?
Jen's right. Never. Ever.
And that's not even considering kidnappers. Sorry, Jen. You can lock it all you want but car windows shatter very, very easily. Get a spring-loaded punch and press it against your car window. Watch how fast it shatters. Reach in, snag the kid, and they're gone.
Did I mention...never?
|
|
|
|
|
thooogy
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 542
Location: 40.91N - 73.27W
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/28/05 - 21:42 Post subject:
My boys are 5 and 3 and I have yet to leave them in the car alone for any amount of time.
Now when I was 7 (and my sister 9) we were allowed to wait in the car at the supermarket. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time. Hell, we were alone in the HOUSE around that age.
Depends on the kids and the situation. Times have definitely changed, though. The measures of independence I was given as a child would get parents arrested for neglect today (at least in NYC).
|
|
|
|
|
DCRunningDiva
Look at me!!! ©
|
|
|
Joined: 10 Oct 2003
Posts: 9344
Location: Washington DC Metro
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/29/05 - 10:39 Post subject: Re: Leaving kids in the car alone
| msparks wrote: | | DCRunningDiva wrote: | I've been thinking about posting this for a while but FB's thread reminded me about it. How old should your children be before you leave them in the car alone? Several scenarios:
|
Here's a scenario for you: You need to pop into the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. Nothing more, nothing less. So, how long will it take, five minutes, tops?
Okay, factor this one in: As soon as you walk into the store, smoke starts coming from under the dashboard. Do you know how long it will be before the occupants of the vehicle are overcome by the smoke? And, do you know how long it will be before fire reaches the interior? And, finally, do you know how long it will be before the car is, as we used to say, totally involved?
Jen's right. Never. Ever.
And that's not even considering kidnappers. Sorry, Jen. You can lock it all you want but car windows shatter very, very easily. Get a spring-loaded punch and press it against your car window. Watch how fast it shatters. Reach in, snag the kid, and they're gone.
Did I mention...never? |
Oh, I wouldn't ever leave my children in the car under that situation. I think 5 minutes is too long to leave them alone...especially at my kid's age.
|
|
|
|
|
Gogirlgo
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 25 Jul 2002
Posts: 4777
Location: No deal, stalker.
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/29/05 - 10:45 Post subject:
I used to be really vigilant about this and would freak out if any family member had my kids out and left them even for a second. Now they're 9 and 5, and if I have to get money at an ATM, I'll leave them. I'm not more than 20 feet away and they're in my view, and of course they're locked in. I can envision several situations in which my path to them would be intentionally blocked by someone and it could be dangerous. On the other hand, I really think stuff like that occurs very very rarely and that most parents are more vulnerable to the fear of something happening than the actual occurrence. So I guess I take a chance but I don't think it's particularly risky. It's just not practical to take them every single time, to me.
|
|
|
|
|
purple hayes
Frightened Inmate #2
|
|
|
Joined: 14 May 2002
Posts: 14462
Location: ON YOUR LEFT!
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/29/05 - 10:46 Post subject:
My 20 year old gets embarrassed when I make him come into the gas station with me to pay for gas.
He's so immature.
|
|
|
|
|
msparks
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Posts: 3182
Location: Jammin' at the Frim Fram, Frippin' in the Krotz
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/29/05 - 10:49 Post subject: Re: Leaving kids in the car alone
| DCRunningDiva wrote: |
Oh, I wouldn't ever leave my children in the car under that situation. I think 5 minutes is too long to leave them alone...especially at my kid's age. |
Which situation would that be?
Children are too precious. If you can't see them, you certainly can't protect them if they're left to themselves.
The problem is, by the time that it's safe to leave them alone in the car, they're too old to want to go along with you.
|
|
|
|
|
mageline
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 26 May 2004
Posts: 376
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/29/05 - 11:46 Post subject:
I've never left them to go grab something in the grocery store. I've always brought them in with me. By the time I had gone into the grocery store for the 4th time with both of them (one as a newborn, the other was 20 mos.), I have mastered the art of getting them in and out of the car. I have also perused the availability of a grocery boy to help me bring the groceries to the car. It also helped that there were a couple of full-service gas stations in town.
Today when I see a mom struggling with 2 or more babies anywhere, I make it my duty to help her out one way or another because I had help from strangers at the time I was struggling with mine.
As an aside, I had started leaving our kids at home for about 15-30 mins at a time when they were 9 and 10 yr olds. They received instructions on not answering the phone, the door, or not get anywhere the windows, and not to turn the stove or microwave. I'd rather leave them in the house than in the car at that age.
|
|
|
|
|
DCRunningDiva
Look at me!!! ©
|
|
|
Joined: 10 Oct 2003
Posts: 9344
Location: Washington DC Metro
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 12/29/05 - 13:36 Post subject: Re: Leaving kids in the car alone
| msparks wrote: | | DCRunningDiva wrote: |
Oh, I wouldn't ever leave my children in the car under that situation. I think 5 minutes is too long to leave them alone...especially at my kid's age. |
Which situation would that be?
Children are too precious. If you can't see them, you certainly can't protect them if they're left to themselves.
The problem is, by the time that it's safe to leave them alone in the car, they're too old to want to go along with you. |
I was saying I would never leave my child for 5 minutes while I ran into the store to buy a loaf of bread.
Okay - for those of you that wouldn't leave your children even for a second...how do you put groceries into your car and then put the grocery cart away? For me, I park either in one of the front two spots or I'll park directly beside the cart "parking" area. But what if those spots are taken? Do you take 20 seconds to run the cart to where it should be?
|
|
|
|
| |
All times are GMT - 4 Hours
|
|
|
