Stemming from an Argument....Edited to Add one mor

[hopeful2012]

In any of the following situations would you leave your toddler in the car (car locked, assume typical suburb so not a dangerous down town area but not a rural area either):

1. You are pumping gas. The credit card machine isn't working, so you have to go in to pay.
2. Toddler is screaming. You have to go into a convenience store to get milk. The convenience store is small and you are parking next to it (so the car is in your view)
3. Similar to #2 but the car will be out of your view for a couple minutes while you grab something and pay.

Added one:
4. Toddler is napping soundly in house. You are outside doing yardwork but the monitor doesn't reach where you are. You obviously can see anyone coming up to the house.

Thoughts?

Also - if you witnessed a parent doing #1-3 would you say anything?

[ijack]

1. no
2. no
3. no

[hopeful2012]

Thanks ijack- would you say anything?

[pugz]

I don't know what I would do as I'm not a parent yet, but I would never say something to a parent that I saw doing any of the above. I would judge if the car was running/unlocked though.

[egishere]

although I would be tempted to do all 3 -no way.

[h]

No, no, and no. I will leave my kids in the car if I am not physically going into a building (like to drop books in the library drop slot) and am never more than a few feet from the car, but that is it.

[Deleted]

Yes to #1 and no to the other two. And no I wouldn't say something about it to someone who did these things.

Eta: oops sorry I thought #1 was just pumping gas and standing next to the car. I thought that was weird - I'm like do people really take their kids out at the gas station? I've never seen this, lol. I guess I should read more carefully. I wouldn't use a pump that wouldn't take a CC.

[h]

I would probably not say anything to the parent, as I doubt it would help. The parent would likely dismiss me as a nosey bitch or, worse, get pissed and threaten me. But if a kid was left in a car for more than a couple minutes I would consider reporting it to the authorities.

[karinothing]

I would never do any of those. I am kind of mouthy when it comes to strangers so I might say something. But most likely I would stay and watch the kid until the parent came back. If it was longer than a few minutes I would call the police.

[Deleted]

yes, no, no, no

[oregonpachey]

No to all three. I am a weinie when it comes to speaking up so I probably wouldn't say anything.

[ijack]

I probably wouldn't say anything because I'm a wimp, but I might stand next to the car to make sure no harm came to the child.
I've kind of learned my lesson on saying things. I used to have a friend who left her child alone in the house for extended periods of time and gave the monitor to someone down the street while they went out to eat. I said something and it didn't end well (though I was more concerned with the kid than my friendship so I was okay with that).

[karinothing]

I am surprised people would leave their kid in the car to go pay for gas inside. I am not sure how this is differnt than leaving the kid in teh car while you run to the convinence store. We have had a few cases in our area of car jackings with the kid inside becuase the parent stepped away for a moment. I just personally could never do it.

[Sxia]

Yes, as long as I am in view of the vehicle, it is locked and the children are strapped into their seat.

I'd do 1, but not 2 or 3.
And if 1, and there was a line, I would tell someone "please hold my spot here" and stand by the door so I could see the car.

Something similar I do is drop off DH's clothes at the dry cleaner. It's in a strip mall, it's about 5 feet from the car to the door of the cleaners, and another 5 feet to the desk where I drop the clothes. I always park directly in front of the door and it's in the mornings so it's not hot out. If we're doing anything that takes more than 30 seconds, or that parking spot were taken, I'd take the kids out.

[Deleted]

What do you guys think about leaving kids in hotel rooms and going downstairs with a monitor? I see a lot of people on The Bump saying they do this or would do it.

[hopeful2012]

I added one more -- in case you are curious, I would answer no, no, no, but yes to the 4th added one (provided I went in and checked on the child every now and then).

The person I was arguing with was okay with 1, 2, and 4 (so fine as long as they could still see the car).

I wouldn't say anything unless I went into the store, came back out more than 5 minutes later, and the kdi was still there and then I would call the police.

[mmmomof2]

In CA these are all technically legal (as long as child is not in harms way), but I refrain due to judgy mcjudgersons. I did drop off my dry cleaning the other day and left DD 2 in the car while she slept. I could see the car the whole time and she was in the shade with the back window rolled down.

[h]

May 16, 2012 11:43:05 GMT -5 @lcap said:

What do you guys think about leaving kids in hotel rooms and going downstairs with a monitor? I see a lot of people on The Bump saying they do this or would do it.

I have heard of people doing this. I wouldn't do it. If we were vacationing with friends and family and had adjoining rooms, I would be comfortable putting my kids to sleep in our room and hanging out in the adjoining room with a monitor. But downstairs? No way.

[h]

Yardwork -- only if I could crack a window or leave the door open so that I would be able to hear my child when he wakes up. I would not work in the yard with no monitor and all windows and doors closed.

[Ashley&Scott]

No to all 4.

While I might consider #4 I wouldn't do it without a monitor. I would be afraid toddler would wake up & be scared or wake up, get into something they shouldn't & I wouldn't know.

[hopeful2012]

May 16, 2012 11:46:51 GMT -5 h said:

May 16, 2012 11:43:05 GMT -5 @lcap said:

What do you guys think about leaving kids in hotel rooms and going downstairs with a monitor? I see a lot of people on The Bump saying they do this or would do it.

I have heard of people doing this. I wouldn't do it. If we were vacationing with friends and family and had adjoining rooms, I would be comfortable putting my kids to sleep in our room and hanging out in the adjoining room with a monitor. But downstairs? No way.

Ditto.

[6fsn]

I would not do 1-3, but I have and will leave my kids inside without the monitor.

I would not be comfortable with leaving the kid in a hotel room either.

[SusanBAnthony]

Yes to all. Just depending on if I could see the car from inside the store, and the temp outside. Small stores with large windows where I can park right in front, and see them the whole time, I do run in quick.

I do yard work all the time. I crack the baby's window, and walk by the window to listen every few minutes. Or, put the monitor outside wherever the furthest it will reach, and walk by the monitor every few minutes. I also have the bedroom door closed, and it is a childproof room, so I am not worried about that at all.

[bronxgirl]

No to all, including leaving the baby alone in a hotel room.

[kmw325i]

I never do 1-3, but I leave the baby napping in his crib to do yardwork pretty regularly, sans monitor. But I do step in and listen for him regularly. But when he's older and can more proactively destroy things and hurt himself, probably not.

[slug*bug]

No to all.

RE: hotel rooms...are there still parents who haven't heard of Madeline McCann? If you ever wondered if it was okay, that alone should keep you from leaving them in a room alone.

We started renting apartments on our last few vacations so that the adults would have somewhere to hang out after the kids went down: best decision ever.

[satama]

I would not do any of them. Well I guess it would depend on how desperate I was for gas what I would do for that one, but I would probably just try another gas station I actually don't even like pumping gas with the kids in the car so dh usually fills both cars up on the weekend.

Omg to the hotel one. Who would do that?

The yard work one I might do if the kid was a reliable napper and I checked ever so often.

[hopeful2012]

May 16, 2012 12:34:44 GMT -5 satama said:

I would not do any of them. Well I guess it would depend on how desperate I was for gas what I would do for that one, but I would probably just try another gas station I actually don't even like pumping gas with the kids in the car so dh usually fills both cars up on the weekend.

Omg to the hotel one. Who would do that?

The yard work one I might do if the kid was a reliable napper and I checked ever so often.

I agree with this - for the gas one I meant the scenario to be that you had already pumped the gas and it wasn't until then that you realized the credit card machine wasn't working (not like there was a sign up beforehand or anything).

[Deleted]

May 16, 2012 12:12:53 GMT -5 slug*bug said:

No to all.

RE: hotel rooms...are there still parents who haven't heard of Madeline McCann? If you ever wondered if it was okay, that alone should keep you from leaving them in a room alone.

We started renting apartments on our last few vacations so that the adults would have somewhere to hang out after the kids went down: best decision ever.

Hah, that is what I always bring up when this topic comes up. But then other people rush in to argue that the case was never solved and the parents probably did it anyway...

I would never do it but I know I'm kind of paranoid when it comes to this kind of thing. Better safe than sorry is what I always think.

[Monarch]

I will leave my kid in the car as long as I can view the vehicle at all times. Windows up all the way and doors locked, alarm on. If its too hot to leave the windows up then the kid comes with me.