Mergath Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Agreed. And if it's not hot out, I really think it's fine to leave a younger child with an older one. I mean, a sibling can mind a sleeping baby for a few minutes. The whole "an hour" thing is a bit extreme. That does seem like cause for concern for an infant alone, even aside from the heat. But there's a way in which somehow this becomes a child of any age left in a car for any amount of time in any weather for some angry accusers and that's just absurd. And then we get to the point where I end up forcing my kids to sit outside the car in 50 degree weather on the asphalt in the parking lot because I'm pretty sure that's less likely to draw the cops (true story). And that's nuts. I shouldn't have to do that (I mean, I don't anymore now that they're nearly teens, but I used to). I get nervous leaving my 9yo in the car in extremely mild weather while I run in to pay for gas or to the atm, which takes a couple minutes, tops. Not because I think something will happen, but because I'm worried some nosy twat is going to smash my windows in trying to "save" my dd. Seriously people, if it's fifty degrees out and the child is old enough to get out of the car and walk the five feet to the bank door, just keep walking. No one's going to give you a medal for rescuing a tween from two minutes without adult supervision. On one of the hsing FB groups I'm in, there was a woman with multiple children who are either grown or teens, and she said she NEVER left any of them alone before the age of twenty. Yes, twenty. Not a typo. People were like, "Uh..." :huh: She was aghast that anyone would leave an eighteen-year-old home alone, even for ten minutes. I guess I have to give her credit for taking helicopter parenting to a new and disturbing level. If her teens go to college, I wonder if she waits outside the classroom for them? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 I get nervous leaving my 9yo in the car in extremely mild weather while I run in to pay for gas or to the atm, which takes a couple minutes, tops. Not because I think something will happen, but because I'm worried some nosy twat is going to smash my windows in trying to "save" my dd. Seriously people, if it's fifty degrees out and the child is old enough to get out of the car and walk the five feet to the bank door, just keep walking. No one's going to give you a medal for rescuing a tween from two minutes without adult supervision. On one of the hsing FB groups I'm in, there was a woman with multiple children who are either grown or teens, and she said she NEVER left any of them alone before the age of twenty. Yes, twenty. Not a typo. People were like, "Uh..." :huh: She was aghast that anyone would leave an eighteen-year-old home alone, even for ten minutes. I guess I have to give her credit for taking helicopter parenting to a new and disturbing level. If her teens go to college, I wonder if she waits outside the classroom for them? Dear Lord that's a whole 'nuther extreme. I wonder how those kids are gonna turn out. Honestly, the people I know who have been the most extreme helicopter parents have had the most screwed up adult children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 Yep. I remember once when I left an entire cart of groceries at the store. When I got home and discovered the error, I was just relieved that it wasn't one of the children who got left behind. I knew just how not out of the realm of possibilities that was. Yup, I did that too. And lost a stroller that way too (thankfully the kid wasn't in it!) I'm totally sure I could leave a kid, so I'm hyper vigilant about it. I Think it is the "it could never happen to me" holy than thou ones that are most at risk. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 Once when ds was about 12 weeks old I was at Best Buy. At the check out counter. I had him sitting on the counter--holding him. I inexplicably turned to get my purse and let go of him. A stranger caught him. I still replay that in my mind and I just feel sick. I once did something similar....I somehow forgot that infants can't sit. And went to just sit the three month old down on. Luckily I was still looking at her so as she toppled over I was able to grab her. No excuse, just tired stressed out mom who lost her brain for a minute. I've also been at the store without a baby because DH was watching them and panicked when I walk away from the cart, because I thought I left the baby in the cart. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 Wasn't there someone here on the boards that had the cops called on them for leaving their elementary aged kids in the car for like 2 minutes to run into the post office or something? I remember it being insanely short, like the moment the person saw her walk away she flagged down a cop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 I have always thought babies sleeping on their back would be at great risk for aspirating if they were to spit up (which babies often do). My grandbabies have mostly co-slept with my daughters, but when my first grandson was 4-5 months old, dd would put him in the co-sleeper til he woke the first time then move him to the bed. He slept on his tummy with an Angelcare monitor in his bed. Now they have those awesome little things you can put on their feet, and they go off if there's a breathing issue (don't remember what they pick up - either pulse or oxygen level). I'd use one of those with my baby on its tummy in a heartbeat. I think babies on their backs all the time is unnatural, and the reason so many babies are having to where helmets right now because their heads aren't developing normally. I do realize all the car seat from car to store back to car to stroller, etc. doesn't help that. Mommy substitutes really get on my last nerve. Yeah they push "tummy time" because they have to since the baby is on its back with its head getting flattened so many hours of the day. Yeah, all mine slept either on tummy or their side. Oldest had reflux and colic and only could sleep on his belly, end of story. He couldn't sleep at all on his back because it hurt. First DD slept on her side. That seems a natural thing for babies, as they like to nurse to sleep next to mom, belly to belly. 2nd DS actually preferred to sleep on his back, and I was so excited, lol. This one sleeps on her side, usually cosleeping. Sometimes rolls on her back. And she's carried more than laid down in a seat or whatever. So no, I don't worry about tummy time. And even with no tummy time she was able to prop herself up on her forearms, head up, by a month and at just turned 3 months she can roll both tummy to back and back to tummy. So I don't think it's hurt her development, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 Wasn't there someone here on the boards that had the cops called on them for leaving their elementary aged kids in the car for like 2 minutes to run into the post office or something? I remember it being insanely short, like the moment the person saw her walk away she flagged down a cop. I think it was someone who was bringing her shopping cart back to the corral, who then got lectured by someone who was threatening to call the cops. I don't recall anybody here actually having the cops called on them for that... but still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 I think it was someone who was bringing her shopping cart back to the corral, who then got lectured by someone who was threatening to call the cops. I don't recall anybody here actually having the cops called on them for that... but still. That happened to me except the person didn't threaten to call the police, though I'm sure she would have if she hadn't looked up and seen me right there beside the car. The corral was like two spaces away from where I parked, and in the short time it took to put my cart away after buckling DD into her seat, some woman saw her "alone" while walking by and started freaking out. I get why people are hyper-vigilant about this issue, but they could at least take a moment to assess the situation before entering panic mode. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 I think a baby left in a car is a much different thing than a school-aged child (say 10 and above, depending on the kid of course) left in a car. If I saw a baby alone in a car I'd stand there for a few minutes to see if there were someone coming back from returning a cart; if I saw a pre-teen or older elementary kid or kids in a car, I'd walk on by unless they looked weird in some way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 Wasn't there someone here on the boards that had the cops called on them for leaving their elementary aged kids in the car for like 2 minutes to run into the post office or something? I remember it being insanely short, like the moment the person saw her walk away she flagged down a cop. Yeah, that was me. Ran in to the FedEx with a prepared package, just needed a receipt. Whole trip took 2.5 minutes. I came out and a cop was there by my car. It was sunset and heat was not an issue (and even if it had been sunny, nobody's gonna die that fast). 4 years later, one of my kids is still somewhat afraid to wait in the car, because she doesn't want the cops called on her. Couple weeks ago, she freaked out because someone was watching her and her sister pump air in their bike tire on the sidewalk. She thought he was gonna call the cops on them for being "unsupervised." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 Yeah, that was me. Ran in to the FedEx with a prepared package, just needed a receipt. Whole trip took 2.5 minutes. I came out and a cop was there by my car. It was sunset and heat was not an issue (and even if it had been sunny, nobody's gonna die that fast). 4 years later, one of my kids is still somewhat afraid to wait in the car, because she doesn't want the cops called on her. Couple weeks ago, she freaked out because someone was watching her and her sister pump air in their bike tire on the sidewalk. She thought he was gonna call the cops on them for being "unsupervised." Yep- it's your story I was thinking of then. I'm so sorry for your dd. That stinks to have worries like that now because of it too. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 My post office and police station are side by side. Last time I went to the PO with the kids I instructed ds to lock the doors and just open it for me when I returned. I just really didn't want to take the toddler inside for a 2 minute errand. Similar to MamaStephanina I could see through windows to the car. If it's not complicated then I just send ds in for me. The feature on my keychain that lets me leave the a/c on is not working right now so I left the keys in the car :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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