At what age is it ok to leave your kid in the car while you are running errands?

[Anonymous]

Just don't do it. Not worth it. I left my sleeping 4-year-old in the car while I ran into a bank vestibule to use the ATM. I could literally see her from the vestibule while doing the transaction. Some "helpful" bystander approached the car within 45 seconds and was lurking around it--when I ran out (transaction cancelled!) he asked me if she was my baby and said he just wanted to make sure she was ok. It was extremely unpleasant.

[Anonymous]

OP ~ 14 YEARS old.

[Anonymous]

This is so ridiculous when other countries are letting their kids take transit and walk to school at age 4 and 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Varies by county. In Loudoun it's 9. To be alone anywhere at all. Ugh.

What??? That is terrible. What about to walk home from the bus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so ridiculous when other countries are letting their kids take transit and walk to school at age 4 and 5.

+1

I remember reading this....

http://www.parenting.com/blogs/show-and-tell/kate-parentingcom/police-called-swedish-mom-who-left-baby-outside-restaurant

and realizing how laid back so many other countries are compared to our uptight helicopter country.


http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/08/12/339825261/global-parenting-habits-that-havent-caught-on-in-the-u-s

[Anonymous]

I am comfortable leaving my 18 year old in the car and run errands. Sometimes I sit in the car and let my 18 year old run errands.

[Anonymous]

OP, I left my child in the driveway napping from the time he was a toddler. I also left him to return shopping carts to a stand or to get money out of the ATM in front of the bank (I was parked right in front of the ATM).

I started leaving him alone in the car at more public places about age 12.