Just got yelled at for leaving my kid alone in in the car while I went to the pharmacy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's against the law where I am but I do it occasionally. My toddler was sick, fell asleep in the car, older siblings had an outdoor swim lesson. I double parked where I shouldn't have and kept checking on him for drop off/pick up. Sue me!

So you illegally parked and illegally left your child in the car? Wow parent of the year here

Should I have blown off the last swim lesson where I would have found out if they passed the level or should I have drug the sick toddler out of the car?

OR how about have a parent sitter or someone stay with the sick kid at home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:YES, it is a crime here.

The guard did an excellent job. Good for him.

No, it’s not a “crime”.

What do you call it when something is "against the law" ? Are you trying to be cutesy and call it "non-lawful" or something? Yes, it's a crime.

It’s not a crime.

In Maryland, it is a crime. I don't necessarily agree that it's unsafe at seven, but it is a misdemeanor, so I didn't do it.

Crime implies felony, no? Is speeding a crime?

No, it does not imply that it rises to the level of a felony. What would be the purpose of having misdemeanors if they didn’t matter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A) it's against the law
B) 10 minutes is actually kind of a long time to leave a child that young unattended. And for all you know, it could've been more. I've waited for a LONG time at the pharmacy but before.
C) no matter how responsible your son is for a 7 year old, he's still only 7 which is way too young to leave unattended in a car. What would a responsible kid do if someone stole the car w/ him in it? Wouldn't matter how responsible he is in that case.

What if he climbed up in the front seat to get something or just check it out (as kids do) and accidentally put the car in drive?
What if you had a medical event or something else unexpected while in the store and no one in the store knew you had a kid in the car?

It's totally irresponsible and you should be ashamed.

Seven is WAY too young? Virginia says 4 and Maryland says 8. So simmer down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like a great idea, if the goal is to get your kid kidnapped.

Yes the world is full of people who are just hoping to stumble upon a 7 year old in a car and kidnap him in order to... wait this story is falling apart suddenly. Why would someone kidnap OP's kid. This doesn't make any sense.

They want the car. But you do know kids are kidnapped and murdered, raed or sold, right,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More than anything I am afraid this thread illustrates why women are underrepresented in positions of power, authority, and responsibility. Anyone judging OP for this is devoid of critical thinking skills, fundamental logic, and the ability to appropriately assess risk. I would be willing to bet the average Dad wouldn’t think twice about this and would be utterly confused as to why the hell anyone would think a normally developing second grader is incapable of sitting in a car for a short time. It’s a hysterical and illogical overreaction to, dare I say, a nothing-burger.

What OP did was fine. I would not let those of you bashing her be in charge of a deep fryer at McDonald’s, and I certainly wouldn’t take any advice you might have to offer up on child rearing.

OP left the engine running. Dumb.

What does that have to do with anything? If a carjacker accidentally stole a car with a kid in it, they would either park the car and get out or dump the kid somewhere. Kidnapping is a much more serious crime than car theft. If the criminal was sexually motivated, he can just as easily snatch a kid off a bike, so the car means nothing. OP could have left the doors locked too.

There have been cases where carjackers stole a car with a child and the child ended up being seriously injured or killed.

It was recently in the news near me that police chased an alcohol shoplifter in a car, the thieves drove the wrong way up a highway ramp and killed 3 people in a head-on. Does that mean we should stop enforcing shoplifting laws? Where does the what-ifs end?

Apples and oranges

[Anonymous]

I think OP it’s just mad that a lowly security guard had the nerve to “yell” at her. Whether or not seven years old is too young or not the guard doesn’t know how old the child is, if he’s responsible or that he has a special-needs brother. But I would not leave my kid in A running car, not because of age issues, but because of the possibility of carjackings which are increasing in the entire DMV area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a friend who parked her car, engine running, along the curb, in the airport pickup line. Bad enough really, but she also left two young kids in the car and ran in to pick a friend up.

This was about a year after 9-11, her car was surrounded by police cars when she got back.

She was in hot water with the courts and child protective services. Ultimately it was fine and she wasn’t convicted of anything and she didn’t lose her kids. The kids were of course fine.

But at the time I couldn’t help myself and burst out laughing when she told me the story. It was just so ridiculous on so many levels. Leaving your non toddler, infant, preschool kids in the car in Va, eh, no biggie, 99.9% chance they will be fine. But to do it curbside in an airport pickup area… shortly after 9/11 well now that take a special kind of specialness. Sitcom comedy gold. I still smile when I think of it.

But it also goes to show that by far the biggest risk in leaving your kids in the car is just “getting in trouble” with people (authority figures or busybodies) who don’t think you should have left your kids in the car. i.e. a completely manufactured and ultimately meaningless “risk”…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like a great idea, if the goal is to get your kid kidnapped.

Yes the world is full of people who are just hoping to stumble upon a 7 year old in a car and kidnap him in order to... wait this story is falling apart suddenly. Why would someone kidnap OP's kid. This doesn't make any sense.

They want the car. But you do know kids are kidnapped and murdered, raed or sold, right,

You know kids are much more likely to be victims of crime by someone they know then by some rando.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the military wife from the prior page and I am 100% team OP. No probl with her posting here. Be vocal.

Seriously, y'all are accusing a mom who is juggling a kid and errands (perfectly well btw) of being lazy while being affronted that the security guard might have to do his job and actually, you know, secure the parking lot for a minute.

The kid was 7 and he stayed in the car and was fine. Job done. Mom got the scrip and returned to the car within a few minutes. Job done. Rent a cop saw a 7 yr old minding his own business in a car, had a hissy fit, harassed a kid, and yelled at his mother. What the heck.

If you left your kid in a car on the military base you'd be in serious trouble. What is wrong with you to leave a kid in the car. And, with tricare, on base its never a few minutes to get a prescription.

[Anonymous]

Ridiculous how over protective we all are and how it has become socially acceptable to hate on busy moms for doing something that used to be totally socially accepted. My mom and dad, for that matter, both left me in the car often while they ran errands. No big deal, unless you make it one. I think it is misogyny at play. Notice how vicious the tone gets towards the mom and how you love to verbally attack her. Look deeply into your mirror.

[Anonymous]

In my state the law is 8. My older DD (11) probably would have been fine before that but I didn’t do it. My younger DD (7.5) doesn’t seem ready.

Recently there was a news story about a 3 year old climbing into a front seat and accidentally shifting the car out of park and killing someone. The risk of accidentally moving the car or getting hurt is low but I wouldn’t leave a kid that young and definitely wouldn’t leave the car running. Even with my 11 year old I’ve never left the car running while she’s in it. The first time I left her alone in the car (8) I parked in the spot in front of a small deli where I could see her and she could see me while I was in line. I left the window open a bit and the deli door was open so she could also call out to me if needed. Nonetheless, a woman felt the need to come inside and ask me if I knew it was illegal to leave my child in the car. I told her she’s 8, which is allowed. I would like to leave my younger one in the car at the grocery store while returning my cart - statistically the odds of her getting hurt in the parking lot are a bigger risk than her being in the car while I return the cart. I try to park close to cart returns for this reason.

[Anonymous]

I left my 11 year old son in my car for 5 minutes to run into a CVS last year and got yelled at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I left my 11 year old son in my car for 5 minutes to run into a CVS last year and got yelled at.

Bum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, my kid is 7 years old. I left him inside the car with it running while I went to go pick up my medication from the pharmacy. He asked me to, since he didn’t want to come in with me. I tried to tempt him but he wasn’t into it, so I told him he could stay in the car. I come out and a security guard started yelling at me, questioning me about where I was and saying I can’t leave my kid alone in the car until he is a teenager. He also went to my car and questioned my child. My kid is responsible because he has a special needs brother. For example, he is responsible in the morning for making sure his brother gets to his classroom because we aren’t allowed in (the school suggested this to us). Thoughts? Is it really a crime to leave a 7 year old in the car for 10 minutes?

You left him in a running car? Too much could happen. Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's against the law where I am but I do it occasionally. My toddler was sick, fell asleep in the car, older siblings had an outdoor swim lesson. I double parked where I shouldn't have and kept checking on him for drop off/pick up. Sue me!

So you illegally parked and illegally left your child in the car? Wow parent of the year here

Should I have blown off the last swim lesson where I would have found out if they passed the level or should I have drug the sick toddler out of the car?

OR how about have a parent sitter or someone stay with the sick kid at home?

We have zero help. Zero zero zero zero. Either I do it, or husband does it, or it doesn't get done. He needed to work.

Toddler fell asleep in the car in the middle of the morning, which is unusual for him. So following anxiety standards, I would have needed to turn the car around and disappoint the two elder siblings, already in bathing suits thinking they're going to the pool, and I wouldn't know what level to sign them up for. Paradoxically, if my kids can't swim I'm a garbage parent for that too.