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

I've run in my house to grab something but I lock the doors. Ive also pulled over and dropped something in the mail box 10 feet away but that's about it.

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

Posted by MarisaK

When *I* as their mother feel it is appropriate and safe and *I* am comfortable doing it b/c I am a well educated, intelligent person perfectly capable of making a rational, responsible decision for myself and my children -

If you see me and feel the need to post about it - so be it.

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

The only time I have ever done it is when I get home and it is raining. We cannot walk from the garage through the house so I have to run in with one - usually Abby, plop her down and run out to get Jeremy. If the weather is ok, I get her out first and she "helps" me bring her brother in the seat. Other than that, I have never, would never and could never do it.

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

for me - never. I just never think it's worth it. I always have this little voice in the back of my mind saying "G*d forbid something happened while I ran in to get myself coffee--- would I be that mom that says 'it was so stupid'". lol.

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

When I’ve forgotten something in the house. If we drive home and he is sleeping, I will go in and put the dog in the backyard first. I lock the car door though. The dog gets very hyper and LOUD when we come in the house. I also have left him in the car with the car running but doors locked when I pay my water bill. There is a drop box by the water bldg. I literally run to the box, drop in my payment, and run to my car. No more than 30 seconds. And this is every three months. So NOT often. Other than that, if there is no drive thru I don’t leave him in the car alone.

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?

Posted by ME75

Posted by MarisaK

When *I* as their mother feel it is appropriate and safe and *I* am comfortable doing it b/c I am a well educated, intelligent person perfectly capable of making a rational, responsible decision for myself and my children -

If you see me and feel the need to post about it - so be it.

i like this response and think it can be applied to most of the stuff asked on this board!
regarding:
carseats
bumpers
CIO
BFIng/Non BFing
etc etc etc....

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

I have left DS in the car alone in our driveway when I forget something in the house. When he was a toddler, I also left him in there while I brought groceries inside--I felt as an active toddler, he was safer in a locked car in our driveway than he would be alone in our house while I brought in bags.

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

i have twins so i have to carry one to the car which is parked on the side of my house in a driveway, i go out the side door, leave her in the car alone, go back in the house get the other one and put her in the car
and when i get home if they are asleep i will unload the bags first and then get them, again one at a time, i really have no other choice i cant carry them both at the same time
but to run into a store or something never i have thought so many times how much easier my life would be sometimes if i could just run into the dry cleaners or dunkin donuts or grab a carton of milk but it would absolutely never do that its just too risky for me
i'm not comfortable with it
if you are okay doing it then go ahead but its not for me

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

I've done it in my driveway.

I would do it at the library dropoff or a mailbox with the doors locked if I could see him from where I am standing.

I think your opinon on this changes as they get older. I remember when he was an infant, I didn't even return the shopping cart to the cart corral if he was alone in the car. I do that now.

I say never say never......it must be simple to live in a world that is so black and white.

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

I'm a never ever on this. I see driveway as way different than a parking lot. I have gotten the kids in the car for daycare and had to run back in for 12 seconds for something - that I think is fine.

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

Even though I chose never ever, I have run into the house to get something and left DS in the car.

But, I still don't think it's okay.

Here's why.

When we were little my mom took us to pick up my sister at a playdate. She was refusing to get in the car (brat) so my mom got out to get her. She was right on the front porch. Meanwhile, my brother hopped in the front seat (before the days of extended booster seats) and put the car into gear. We very slowly started to roll foward. My mom screamed and some well meaning older man jumped in the car and instead of hitting the brake he slammed on the gas. The car went flying across the street and into someone's garage.

No joke..

Soooo... even though I may do it at some point.. I don't think it's smart.

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

Never ever. It only takes a sec for something to happen. I would never forgive myself. My DH is a cop and I hear too many horrible stories. I just couldn't.

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

I also vote never ever. It's that one split second that something can happen that scares me.

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

The last time I responded to a thread like this, eveyone torched me, but because I didn't care then what people think of my decisions and because I don't care now, I will share what I do. If I am running into a store or my house for a few minutes, I lock my car doors with the engine off, with my 2 DDs strapped into their car seats. I've been known to do this at:

-Home
-Dunkin Donuts
-7-11
-gas station
-DD#1's preschool drop off/pick up
-dry cleaners
-mailbox
-Friendly's take out

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?

Depends how old your kids are. I have a 10yr old and I have left her in the car a few times if I can keep eye contact with her. She is a nervous nelly so this usually won't happen but sometimes she wants to.

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

If I have to run in the house, I lock them in the car and run real fast in and out!
If the weather is to cold, I don't do it.
If it's warm, I open the windows a bit.
It happens rarely, but, if and when it does, I go quick.

As for stores and such...Never! Im to panicked!

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?

Driveway but only quickly
garage a bit longer but car is always off, fear of carbon monoxide
in front of my home if I am on my front lawn doing something
to take my dog out of car to pee if DD is asleep, but car is in sight always and I am always in sight if DD wakes up
drop off mail 5 feet from car when a car side drop off not in vicinity

All situations window is cracked, car is OFF, not too hot out, keys in my pocket and doors locked. Every time.

Message edited 4/19/2011 12:34:24 AM.

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

Posted by MaMaTeenie

Posted by ME75

Posted by MarisaK

When *I* as their mother feel it is appropriate and safe and *I* am comfortable doing it b/c I am a well educated, intelligent person perfectly capable of making a rational, responsible decision for myself and my children -

If you see me and feel the need to post about it - so be it.

i like this response and think it can be applied to most of the stuff asked on this board!
regarding:
carseats
bumpers
CIO
BFIng/Non BFing
etc etc etc....

I like it too, but is actually not an answer to my question because I want to know when you thinks its appropriate (if you do).

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

Dh did it once to pick me up from a LIF Christmas gtg a few years back. He left my, then 9 year old in the car with my 2 little ones. When he told me they were in the car ( in front of 4 lif girls) I was like don't you know I am going to be talked about for the next decade.
I ran out so fast.
Since then he's never done it again.

He'll go back in the house with them locked in the car and so will I.
I've done this with dry cleaners also bc it's literally 10 ft from the curb.

Preschool is a pain in the arse lugging everyone in and out but it's my life right now.

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?

The only time I have ever left either of my kids in the car is in my driveway or garage. Sometimes if my DD is asleep in the car seat I will leave her in there - with the doors locked and car off and the windows open. She is always in plain sight, my driveway is VERY set back from the street and private so there is no way anyone would see her driving by and I check on her every 5 min or so. Honestly, I never thought there would be any issue with doing this.

As for the other stuff, honestly, it never occurred to me to leave either one of my kids in the car alone. I have often wished that I could bc it would make my live a million times easier but, I guess I just took for granted that this was not something I felt safe doing.

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

Only in my own driveway. Or if I am picking something up from someones house I will go to the door but not inside. Never in a public place!!!

However I do leave the twins in my car while I run Landon into preschool occasionally. I only do this when my cousin, aunt, or friend is parked next to my car or standing outside my car watching it for me. Some people who do not know this may think I am just leaving the babies in the car alone which would NEVER happen.