MH fills up my car with gas. I don't have this run into the gas station problem. I also grocery shop on my way home from dropping Jackson off at school while Scarlett sleeps at home and MH is with her.
It's all a very elaborate plan to keep my kids out of stores so they quit asking me for shit.
Post by penguingrrl on Sept 28, 2012 13:23:03 GMT -5
I will add that I wouldn't likely have done that with only one kid. But if I'm running in within sight for one item (which is rare, I've only done that once or twice) I kind of feel like the risks of leaving them in the car are less than dragging two, soon to be three, kids out of their carseats and across a parking lot.
When I lived in NYC grocery shopping only happened sans kids because I couldn't figure out a safe way to get the kids and groceries upstairs safely. Again, with one young enough for the sling it was easy, once we had two and one was long past the sling stage it was a lot harder.
Post by earlgreyhot on Sept 28, 2012 13:25:39 GMT -5
My mom left my brothers in the car all the time, with the keys. She tells the story of one of them getting out of their carseat, climbing into the driver seat and putting the van into park causing a minor fendor bender in the parking lot. Says she still has nightmares about that, but she still left them in the car...but taking the keys with her.
But, serious question...what age is appropriate for leaving them in there for a quick trip? 3 years? 6? 8? 12?
What if I yell, "Don't get stolen," before I leave the car?
Damn, now I feel like a terrible mom b/c I didn't think of this one and haven't been saying anything like "don't get stolen" or "mommy loves you, but isn't winning medals today" before leaving my 2 (soon to be 3) kids in the car. Communication is key...
IDK. Depends on your kid. I probably could have left pete on a random street corner and have him still be there waiting four hours later. (not that I would.)
Pinky is 9 and I wouldn't leave her for two seconds if her brother wasn't right there. He's 11, btw.
ETA: I felt more comfortable with it when they were able to get in and out of a seatbelt/booster on their own, knew what to do about strangers, and had some modicum of self preservation. So basically, not until you can trust your kid to get out of the car if it's too hot, stay in their seat, not try to start the car, and not hang out of all the windows yelling MY MOMMY LEFT ME ALOOOOOOOOONE!
It happened in my hometown not too long ago. A woman left the car running with a baby inside when she went into a church food pantry to get her weekly bag of food. The car was found a bit later, baby safe.
Who steals a car from a food pantry? Man, that is low.
I guess I don't really see why people feel the need to leave their kid in the car. SURE it is less truoble to take them out. But honestly, we have been taking DS in and out of the car for really brief trips since he was a newborn (we never used the infant seat as a carrier). He is used to it. He deals. It doesn't make our lives anymore difficult.
Ah, spoken like someone whose baby actually takes naps...
My child is actually not that good of a napper. On the rare occasion he did fall asleep I just took him out and plopped him in the carrier. If he fell asleep again great, if not oh well.
A missed nap or a shortened nap isn't going to kill him or me? I guess I don't know. Maybe I am a bad mom because I don't let my kid sleep enough since I schlep him everywhere.
MrsAxilla, I assume the car was stolen from the church parking lot (which is also pretty low.) I know of quite a few churches that have a food pantry but you wouldn't know it from the outside because it's basically just the church kitchen.
I will add that I wouldn't likely have done that with only one kid. But if I'm running in within sight for one item (which is rare, I've only done that once or twice) I kind of feel like the risks of leaving them in the car are less than dragging two, soon to be three, kids out of their carseats and across a parking lot.
When I lived in NYC grocery shopping only happened sans kids because I couldn't figure out a safe way to get the kids and groceries upstairs safely. Again, with one young enough for the sling it was easy, once we had two and one was long past the sling stage it was a lot harder.
ETA: I felt more comfortable with it when they were able to get in and out of a seatbelt/booster on their own, knew what to do about strangers, and had some modicum of self preservation. So basically, not until you can trust your kid to get out of the car if it's too hot, stay in their seat, not try to start the car, and not hang out of all the windows yelling MY MOMMY LEFT ME ALOOOOOOOOONE!
I agree with this. I think my parents left me in the car alone starting when I was 9 or so, which is about the same time that I was allowed to be home by myself after school.
We had a story identical to Sue Sue's near me that has forever scarred me on this topic. After that, I will never leave my kids in the car with it running - if it's too warm/cold to be in there with the windows almost all the way up, they're coming inside with me.
Post by MixedBerryJam on Sept 28, 2012 13:36:41 GMT -5
No flame from me. But I've been flamed for saying it.
I haven't, but I've been sorely tempted to leave DS napping while I go to the end of the block to pick up DD from the school bus in the afternoon. Like, I'm still in sight of my house, and our street is essentially a dead end. I haven't done it, and probably never will, but it kills me to get him up just to go get her.[/quote]
I would totally do this.
No hesitation.[/[/i]quote]
Late to the game, but I have actually done this. In fact, I made a bit of a habit of it, since I lived across the street from my son's preschool. So I would leave the 2-3 year old napping while I picked up the 3-4 year old across the street probably once a month or so. Not every day, but not never.
Dude, if we can't leave our kids in the car while they are napping to bring groceries then I give up right now.
ha ha.
To really be fair there is no possible way I can do this, as I live 6 stories above my car. But I have an old lady cart I load all the groceries into and it is easy. Old lady grocery carts for everyone!
Post by demandypants on Sept 28, 2012 13:51:14 GMT -5
Another mom who doesn't leave the kid in the car. Like the previous poster it is just not a risk I am willing to take. And my kid is super clingy and would freak out if I left her in the car while I ran in someplace. Our state (PA) has a law against it for any child under the age of 6 to be left in the car alone for any length of time. But I only learned of the specifics due to a recent story of a father who left his 7 and 5 year old children in the car while he grocery shopped.
Post by karinothing on Sept 28, 2012 13:52:14 GMT -5
Do people really call CPS for quick runs inside? Even though I don't agree with it, I will not call CPS if you are back in less than 5 minutes. At the 5 minute mark I might get worried, but I would call the police vs. CPS.
OMG, I am going to fail at parenting. I would totally leave a kid in the car while I ran into the gas station, or back upstairs for something I forgot.
I don't see any issue with leaving a kid of any age in the car long enough to get your coffee or forgotten diaper bag out of the house. Anyone who would call CPS on that is a douche of the highest order.
I also don't have a problem with the grocery shopping example either. Presumably, you are taking three or four bags in, dropping them off and coming right back. Now if you're going to unload all the groceries, take a shower, and scramble up some eggs, this might be problematic.
Post by ringstrue on Sept 28, 2012 14:25:29 GMT -5
If my neighbors called the CPS on me it would be because my kid is in their yard picking their flowers and running across their driveways. Or possibly they'd be calling for noise complaints because I'm out there in the early morn yelling at her to getTF back in her own yard. They are probably thankful every time they see her strapped in and out of the way.
No. You do. And the way you ( I ) handle that situation is to park the car in the alley, turn it off, take the keys, run like a crazy woman throwing bags of groceries into your vestibule, run BACK out to your car, go park it, then get the stroller and the kids out and walk them into the house where your ice cream has melted because it took you longer to find a parking space than the entire rest of the grocery shopping trip combined.
#livingthedream
You mean you can't trust pts for 15 whole minutes not to color on all your walls, flush your cell phone down the toilet or do any of those normal things preschoolers do the minute your eyeballs are not locked on their squirmy little behinds?
Yeah, I'm taking my chances with the potential kidnappers. They'd have to get my kid unbuckled first.
i would have to put my kids in the car and take them back out about 7 times a day if i couldn't leave them there to get shit i forgot.
seriously people. i get it if you're in a high crime area, but if you're not, chill the fuck out. lock your doors if you're that paranoid.
OMFG.
This is my approach. We have a kitchen island that if you stand at it, you're looking over it through the dining area and out the front window to the street. When we moved in, MrP joked that the island was good cover for drive-bys, and I said my protection from drive-bys was buying a house on the west side.
When did HAB's kids get to be 9 and 11?!?!
(I'm not reading CA's laws. We have leash laws too, and no one follows those)
I also imagine living in an urban area means you don't have four weeks of groceries in the back of your car along with a huge box of diapers and a stroller.
No. You do. And the way you ( I ) handle that situation is to park the car in the alley, turn it off, take the keys, run like a crazy woman throwing bags of groceries into your vestibule, run BACK out to your car, go park it, then get the stroller and the kids out and walk them into the house where your ice cream has melted because it took you longer to find a parking space than the entire rest of the grocery shopping trip combined.
#livingthedream
I am telling you. If you use cloth bags you can get at LEAST 6 in the cart. Then you can rig two more hanging over the front and back side. Then you can put two on each shoulder.
This is my approach. We have a kitchen island that if you stand at it, you're looking over it through the dining area and out the front window to the street. When we moved in, MrP joked that the island was good cover for drive-bys, and I said my protection from drive-bys was buying a house on the west side.
When did HAB's kids get to be 9 and 11?!?!
(I'm not reading CA's laws. We have leash laws too, and no one follows those)
Pudding is 8 months old today, yo!!
Pete will be 11 in Nov. I'm getting ahead of myself lol