When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

Never ever? At the Dry cleaner? Convenience Store? Book drop at the library?

And if you do leave them in the car do you lock it? Car on? Car off?

What is the concensus on this? Wondering if I am of the same thought process as everyone else.

I'm not looking for drama so please just answer for what you would do and try not to b!tch slap the people who don't share your opinion.

Maybe I should make a poll to avaoid drama?

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

IMO, never!

I would only leave DS in the car if I were standing outside right next to it.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

I have left DS in the car to run back into the house to grab something I forgot, like his sippy. I jump out of the car, leaving a window cracked but the doors locked, run into the house and run right back out. I would say, in total, I've left him for about 1 minute. Other than that, I wouldn't leave him.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

Ive left DD in the car, if she is sleeping, with it off, and locked to run into 7-11 real quick or to the cleaners...car always in sight..and never in the heat. Flame away

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

the only time i have ever left emma in the car was to run in the house & grab something or to throw something away. the car was always left on - and i always leave my car door open a bit to be sure that it can't lock.

our house - we don't use the front door. the back door is what we use & it's all the way around the back of the house (we're in a duplex). I say all the way around is because there is zero street view of our driveway in the back. it goes from one end of the house to the other - like a U. At the very bottom point of that U is our door...so the car & our back door are not visible to the street.

i would never leave her for more than 2 minutes tops...i've stopped home if we were out to grab food for her or diapers, etc...but if i were going to do anything more than a 2 minute thing - i'd take her in with me...

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

I have left DS in the car if I forgot something in the house, he is in the car in the driveway and I go inside!

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

I have left them in the car on the following occasions:

When I had to go back home to get something I forgot
running into the gas station to pay (rarealy, but I can ALWAYS SEE THEM and I turn the car off and lock the doors)

that is it

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

I put never. Right now I have 1 so it's easy to run in with him. I do try and avoid quick "run-ins" when I can. If I need a coffee then there's the drive thru.
I also WFT so I do a lot of the little errands on my lunch break.
DH will pick up prescripitions or go to the drug store if needed and my parents are 2 minutes away where I can drop DS off and do something quick.

Now, since I'm prego with #2 I can't even imagine doing anything quick with 2 kids or more.
I think I'm just too nervous. Only time I ever did a run in to get something fast was at my own house. We pulled in the garage, I locked the doors and left the air on for him and ran inside to grab stuff I needed to go out again. Usually that's when I pick up DS from daycare and then we have plans to go somewhere else.
I can't even imagine leaving him in a public parking lot for a moment.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

i dont really leave them in the car since i have 3 and i'm more worried about them hurting each other.

That being said, My DH has a tendency to be pushing the baby in her stroller in the store and just leaving it in the middle of the aisle to go look at something in another aisle. Now that i freak out over.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

Message edited 4/18/2011 1:21:33 PM.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

I voted "other".

In my ideal version of parenting, the answer is no, it's not ok.

In my realistic view & as a BTDT, I'm going to say "it's ok." It's ok because nothing has happened yet. It depends on so many factors. It depends on age, it depends on season, it depends on location, it depends on how much stuff you are carrying along with your babies.

It's winter, it's icy. You've loaded the car, the baby if finally settled in the car seat & you need ot run back into your house. You hesitate with the "I should never leave my child in a car alone." and then you real. Taking an infant out of a car seat, navigating icy steps to carry the infant & the stuff you forgot is something most parents wouldn't do. And once you have two children, I can assure you someone is left in the car.

Message edited 4/18/2011 1:20:58 PM.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

The only time I've left Ds in the car is when I've had to unload groceries and he's been asleep. It's easier, he wakes up wif I try t take him out before the groceries and I know he's secure in his car seat. If he's awake I'll take him in 1st put him in the living room with the gate closed and then unload the car.

My car is in clear site in our driveway. I've never left him alone in any other situation.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

i left DD in the car when I met someone really quick at there door for something-car doors where locked.

I have also left her in the car if i had to run back into my house really quick-again car doors locked.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

With the 2 kids, obviously I put 1 in the car, run back to the house to get #2. Same when we get back home. There's really no other way to do it.

I've wanted to run into 7-11 and leave them in the car, but am scared that someone from LIF will see me and post about it.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

Only in my driveway, for no more than 20 seconds, if the car doors are locked. I am way too paranoid.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

Now that she is in the convertible seat, once in a blue moon if she falls asleep while driving out to my mom's I will leave her in the car with the windows cracked in my mom's driveway while I sit on the front steps talking to my mom until she wakes up. We live in an apt in Brooklyn (with no driveway) so we would only be able to do this when on visiting family with driveways. lol. Not often at all.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

I've never left DS in the car anywhere besides in my driveway, like if I put him in the car and then go lock up.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

Posted by skinny

I've wanted to run into 7-11 and leave them in the car, but am scared that someone from LIF will see me and post about it.

Message edited 4/18/2011 1:28:32 PM.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

The only time I have ever is if I ran inside my house for a quick second and he is in the car in my driveway.

I would never, ever leave him alone in the car at a public place. Not only for fear of someone taking him, but God forbid someone accidentally hits the car or if there is a fire or ANYTHING! If it's not convenient to bring him in, then I don't go.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

I leave them in the car when they are in the car and I forget something inside.

I have left Tyler in the car at the dry cleaners but I am literally at the bumper of my car. I run in, give my ticket and money, run back outside (about 2 feet away) and then she brings my stuff right to the door for me. He is never out of my sight and I am away from the car for maybe two seconds in total. If there are other cars in the lot then I bring him in with me.

ETA: ALOT has to do with location for me. How busy the parking lot is. Things like that. I am ON all the time, my eyes are never off of my kids, so I use my judgement.

Message edited 4/18/2011 1:45:04 PM.

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

i only do it when im in front of the post office and have to drop off a letter in the box outside.
or if i pump gas

Re: When is ok (if ever) to leave your kids in the car?

Only for a quick in and out situation. Locked and not running. DS does not like being put in and out of the car seat over an over again and for quick stops it makes it hard getting him back in. It is also hard to take in and out if he is sleeping or if the weather is bad.

I have left him in car to drop off a at cleaners. I stand at door and watch the car.
I have left him in car in our driveway to grab something I forgot.
Ive left him in car to get $ in atm in 7-11 i can see car the entire time.

I dont like it, i dont do it often but sometimes I just have to.

Jenn (skinny) the LiF comment is so true for me toi! Haha