At what age can you leave your kid in the car?

[alake]

I ran into a gas station quickly today. I was alone with my 9 year old DD. She had fallen asleep and I had tried to wake her up. I locked the van and ran in. I could see her in the van the whole time I was in the gas station, for roughly 3-4 minutes. We were in a town of maybe 400 people. In my hometown, I don`t leave the kids alone in the car at all. I always do pay at the pump. I don`t want to unload the kids to run into the gas station.

 

[Gidgetc13]

We just received a letter from DD2's preschool about parking lot procedures because they have been having issues with people parking where they aren't supposed to, blocking bus lanes, etc. One of the things they listed in the letter was to not leave young children (which they defined as elementary school aged or younger) unattended in any vehicles parked in their parking lot. It stated that if any children were seen unattended in a vehicle that CPS would be called because they are all mandatory reporters. I'm sure there are lots of parents who leave a younger sibling in the car while they walk their preschool aged child to the door to meet their class. Apparently you will get CPS called on your for that now.

 

[Nimommyof2]

I leave them if there is a line of site typically. Any age for me these are 5 minute or less excursions though. Paying for gas, running into the front door of my kids school to get her or drop something off, walking across the field to grab a kid from school stuff like that. Running a few groceries into the house, or grabbing something I forgot. Typically I have multiple children with me I am convinced they are safer buckled into a five point harness than they would be unloading in say a parking lot or walking across ice as its super icy here right now.

My son is 11 he's fine staying in the vehicle if he wants to. Sometimes if I need a few things from the grocery store I actually just send him into get them than I don't have to unload all the kids works really well.

Obviously I don't do this on hot days I also never leave the keys in the vehicle and its locked.(there have been a number of cases of vehicles taken with children in them but the vehicle was always running with keys)

 

[Morganthe]

Geesh, y'all make me feel like a bad momma.

When dd was a baby-toddler, I'd walk the 10-25 feet to the pay booth for gas and leave her snoozing. I'd always take my keys. Never worried about 'what-ifs, I think. :scratcheshead: Maybe it made a difference that we were on a military installation in my mind, can't remember. :shrug-shoulders:

By the last year we were at Spang, I was fine with her staying in the car while I checked mail at the post office. She was 7-8.

The first time I actively left her on her own for any length of time longer than a few minutes was Dec 2012. We were headed to a play and had to stop to return items to Bed, Bath, & Beyond. The weather was awful. Sleeting, windy, and a crazy parking lot set up (Issaquah if anyone knows of it.).

In both dh & my opinions, it was safer for 9 year old dd to be IN the car than walking out of it. She had a book, a throw, and Mira was in her bag beside dd. I told her if anyone messed with the car, let Mira out. Tiny but awesome in her fury when people get up to the door of my vehicle. Worse if it's a man.
Locked her in with the radio on... and she was fine for the 30 minutes we were in the over crowded store.

Since then, there's been regular points where she's waited for me in the car. She's not going to mess with anything on the console. Mira keeps her company.

A couple of weeks ago, I was dropping my car off at the dealership. My car was parked just outside the glass window. While I was finishing up paperwork, the check-in guy went out to my car to note the odometer reading. I didn't know he did this behind my back.

Over the loud tv and the closed door, I heard Mira absolutely freak out with crazed barking.. Turned to look and she had her head out of her bag with dd restraining her after the guy had opened the door. I went out to get the numbers for him since Mira was ready to bite in protection of her car and HER GIRL.
If someone touches the car, she's in immediate watch-dog mode. Doesn't bark if someone just walks by or gets out of a vehicle next to us.

The next day, he was amazed that she was bagged in the waiting room and was friendly to him when I took her out to say hi.

So I really don't worry.

 

[katymyers]

We just received a letter from DD2's preschool about parking lot procedures because they have been having issues with people parking where they aren't supposed to, blocking bus lanes, etc. One of the things they listed in the letter was to not leave young children (which they defined as elementary school aged or younger) unattended in any vehicles parked in their parking lot. It stated that if any children were seen unattended in a vehicle that CPS would be called because they are all mandatory reporters. I'm sure there are lots of parents who leave a younger sibling in the car while they walk their preschool aged child to the door to meet their class. Apparently you will get CPS called on your for that now.

Wow, I leave my younger three in the car to drop Levi off at school. So do ALL the other moms, we all leave our cars running and just walk our kids to the door. Seriously, wtf do they expect us to do with our other kids? Most people around here have at least 3-4 kids. It wouldn't make sense to unload all of them just to drop off our older kids. And I still say it's more dangerous to walk across a parking lot with a bunch of kids than it is to leave them in the vehicle, strapped in, and within eyesight for a few minutes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk