At what age is OK to leave a child in a car?

[suzib76]

i don't really see the point tbh especially in the day of pay at pump for fuel

i mean if you go to all the effort of taking the kids with you why leave them in the car? what is the point in them being there at all?

its like when you see cars parked at the supermarket with dogs in them, why on earth not just leave the do at home

I don't use pay at pump because someone said they hold a fair amount to make sure you have the money to fill up???Otherwise I would...on a tuesday,I fill up and do my shopping,so can't afford for them to take millions.lol.x

No they don't, they authorise your card by doing either a £1 or £2 transaction, then you are allowed to fill up and the next day usually the amount you fill up by comes out the bank just as if you had paid in store

 

[suzib76]

I suppose I am just used to having to take jack everywhere with me that it seems quite normal to do so, he is 10 now and I still wouldn't leave him alone to pay for fuel. It's a risk assesment I have to make, yes it is dangerous to get him out of the car at the forecourt etc but it is ultimately safer that leaving him alone.

I tend not to be out alone with my 3 for shopping or fuel buying anyway as we really need to have 2 parents to manage both jack and Lana out in public. He needs the full attention of a parent and Lana is only 3 so she needs us too. I often go out alone or to the gym/horses with Leah so I have plenty chance to get fuel.

But I wasn't just referring to fuel when I posted before, I mentioned it as there is an option to pay at pump for many, yes not all but many people do have the choice, but it was more a case of leaving your kids in the car other times, what's the point in taking them
My mum left us in the car while she went shopping, house viewing, to do the horses etc and I just don't get why she took us in the first place

 

[sparkle_1979]

When I had one child I'd never think of leaving her to pay for petrol and would prob have judged those that did. Now I have two little ones it is dangerous to get them both out and the chances are they're safer in the car....my 22 mth old will not hold hands and if I carry her I don't have complete control of my three yr old who on occasion had decided to bolt....I try and pay at the pump where possible or wait for hubby to fill me up

 

[sparkle_1979]

Also to the person who said why take them with you....because my husband works on oil rigs and I have no family here. I have no choice. I'm not being lazy by leavin my children in the car. I do what I think is safest for them.

 

[suzib76]

Also to the person who said why take them with you....because my husband works on oil rigs and I have no family here. I have no choice. I'm not being lazy by leavin my children in the car. I do what I think is safest for them.

I understand, when I said why take them I was more meaning people that go in and do a weeks shopping while leaving the kids in the car, I didn't mean why do you tak your kids for fuel.

 

[smokey]

i don't really see the point tbh especially in the day of pay at pump for fuel

i mean if you go to all the effort of taking the kids with you why leave them in the car? what is the point in them being there at all?

its like when you see cars parked at the supermarket with dogs in them, why on earth not just leave the do at home

Effort of taking the kids with you??
Im sorry but this has to be one of the most silliest staments I have seen, I should just leave my 3 year old at home rather then in the car where I can see him a few feet away because of the effort spent putting him in the car?
Yeah because that is so much safer for a single parent or with a partner at work to do that has no one at home to look after them

 

[suzib76]

i don't really see the point tbh especially in the day of pay at pump for fuel

i mean if you go to all the effort of taking the kids with you why leave them in the car? what is the point in them being there at all?

its like when you see cars parked at the supermarket with dogs in them, why on earth not just leave the do at home

Effort of taking the kids with you??
Im sorry but this has to be one of the most silliest staments I have seen, I should just leave my 3 year old at home rather then in the car where I can see him a few feet away because of the effort spent putting him in the car?
Yeah because that is so much safer for a single parent or with a partner at work to do that has no one at home to look after them

like i already pointed out i didnt mean when paying for fuel

i ment people who go to the effort of taking the kids out but leave them in the car when they are doing shopping or whatever

what exactly is silly about that?

my mum took me and my brother out most weekends and we were often left in the car while she did things, i never saw the point in taking us - i dont find that silly, just logical. if we were alone in a random place in the car we would be as well alone at home

ETA - i wasnt thinking of a 3 year old either as the thread was about what age was ok to leave them, so older kids in mind there

 

[smokey]

i don't really see the point tbh especially in the day of pay at pump for fuel

i mean if you go to all the effort of taking the kids with you why leave them in the car? what is the point in them being there at all?

its like when you see cars parked at the supermarket with dogs in them, why on earth not just leave the do at home

Effort of taking the kids with you??
Im sorry but this has to be one of the most silliest staments I have seen, I should just leave my 3 year old at home rather then in the car where I can see him a few feet away because of the effort spent putting him in the car?
Yeah because that is so much safer for a single parent or with a partner at work to do that has no one at home to look after them

like i already pointed out i didnt mean when paying for fuel

i ment people who go to the effort of taking the kids out but leave them in the car when they are doing shopping or whatever

what exactly is silly about that?

my mum took me and my brother out most weekends and we were often left in the car while she did things, i never saw the point in taking us - i dont find that silly, just logical. if we were alone in a random place in the car we would be as well alone at home

ETA - i wasnt thinking of a 3 year old either as the thread was about what age was ok to leave them, so older kids in mind there

Ok but if you mean shopping or other long activities then you should say that rather then talking about paying at the pump.
You start off talking about

i don't really see the point tbh especially in the day of pay at pump for fuel

but then say your not talking paying for fuel, its no wonder it comes across as that's what your talking about and that's why it sounds silly to state why take them to pay for fuel when you can just leave them at home because that is what you said.

 

[suzib76]

i don't really see the point tbh especially in the day of pay at pump for fuel

i mean if you go to all the effort of taking the kids with you why leave them in the car? what is the point in them being there at all?

its like when you see cars parked at the supermarket with dogs in them, why on earth not just leave the do at home

Effort of taking the kids with you??
Im sorry but this has to be one of the most silliest staments I have seen, I should just leave my 3 year old at home rather then in the car where I can see him a few feet away because of the effort spent putting him in the car?
Yeah because that is so much safer for a single parent or with a partner at work to do that has no one at home to look after them

like i already pointed out i didnt mean when paying for fuel

i ment people who go to the effort of taking the kids out but leave them in the car when they are doing shopping or whatever

what exactly is silly about that?

my mum took me and my brother out most weekends and we were often left in the car while she did things, i never saw the point in taking us - i dont find that silly, just logical. if we were alone in a random place in the car we would be as well alone at home

ETA - i wasnt thinking of a 3 year old either as the thread was about what age was ok to leave them, so older kids in mind there

Ok but if you mean shopping or other long activities then you should say that rather then talking about paying at the pump.
You start off talking about

i don't really see the point tbh especially in the day of pay at pump for fuel

but then say your not talking paying for fuel, its no wonder it comes across as that's what your talking about and that's why it sounds silly to state why take them to pay for fuel when you can just leave them at home because that is what you said.

yes i should have left a bigger space between the two statements

 

[pinklightbulb]

I was left in the car around 7-8 or so.

 

[Wildfire81]

Never. You never know when somebody might highjack your car with your children in it, this happened last month in my town. If I need to get gas all of ours are pay at the pump, but I do not let my tank be less than 1/3 full at all times.

 

[pinklightbulb]

By that same token, though, I could be getting my smaller toddler on the bus in his stroller, and have Eamon, who is walking, drift behind me while I am distracted and then get abducted, but it certainly doesn't mean I would never take the bus because of a tiny chance this could happen. The risks are much smaller of him being snatched, than of his development suffering because I can never take him anywhere if I can't get the bus. I wouldn't lug my kids across a busy forecourt since I would say the risk of a driver not seeing something small darting out in front of their car and hitting him, if he managed to break free of my hand, is far more than the risk they will be abducted from a locked car or the place will blow up or something.

 

[JASMAK]

I dont leave my kids in the car unless I am there with them. Its either very cold, or very hot here. I would rather leave my kids at home - which I havent yet (oldest is 10)

 

[steph.]

Someone stealing my car with my kids inside would be my main worry. I know the chances are tiny but it does happen. A few months ago here in Australia a car was stolen with 3 kids inside while the mum I think had gone to the laundromat. Luckily the thief let them out 200m up the road. Another case was the mum got out to check the mail box and a thief jumped in her car and drove off with her baby inside. She managed to jump on the bonnet and stop the car. When I was in Brazil over Christmas a mum left her 11 year old in the car to pop into the grocery shop. Two thiefs decided to steal the car, the mum saw what was happening ran out and screamed at the 11 year old to get out, she got out and the thiefs shot her in the head.

So i think it depends where you are in the world, but I dont think I would leave a child under 10 alone at all. I did leave my dd while i paid for petrol once as she was asleep but the whole 30 seconds i was in the shop I was a nervous wreck. Not worth it.

 

[pinklightbulb]

I'm in Australia as well but in a relatively low crime area-- a small city in NW Tasmania. It's just very uncommon to get bad crimes like carjacking where I am. Almost unheard of really. So it really does depend on where you are.

 

[Dragonfly]

Thats happened here in the petrol station down the road, car stolen with a baby and kid in the back, they ditched the baby in car seat and a 7 year old at the bottom of my drive way. Police picked them up. How terrifying for that mum seeing her car speed off and two kids in it and the wait till the kids where found.

 

[pinklightbulb]

Oh that's scary I'm glad I live in such a tame place!

 

[Dragonfly]

Its tame here, totally not the norm at all. Which was why it was a shock.

 

[pinklightbulb]

I admit to being pretty lax about this kind of thing because I think the risks are so small. I hope nothing like this happens in my town and it comes back to bite me on the ass.

 

[Warby]

But say with an older child...maybe 12. Couldn't you argue that if you left them home alone, a burglar might break in?

I live in an extraordinary safe area so that is likely why either scenario seems unlikely.