Leave Your Child Alone in the Car While Paying for Gas
Leave Your Child Alone in the Car While Paying for Gas?
The Law Usually Steps In……
“The law usually steps in when poor judgment is accepted as the norm”
We’ve all done things, that as we age, we look back on and wonder how our children lived through our ‘limited information choices’.
Years of No Seat Belts
Remember when you could put your baby in what could be ‘barely defined as an infant seat’ and just set them down…no seat belt? Maybe you don’t, but moms did just that. They even lay their baby down on the front passenger seat wrapped in blankets to be near them. Why? There were no mandatory seat belts in cars until the late sixties, early seventies. The only one who regularly pushed seat belts (for over 10 years) was Ralph Nader, much to the auto industries dismay.
Mandatory Front Seat Belts Only
Then the law stepped in to have front seat belts be mandatory. Okay, so we put the baby on the back seat, maybe next to an older child. Still no back seat belts, no infant seats, no child booster seats. Then came the back seat belts, lap seat belts and infant seats with seat belts. It was inconvenient…bending over in the back seat buckling in, pacifiers falling, etc. Such frustration along with the baby crying, poopy diapers and the toddler whining.
During these years of progressive law intervention, in the beginning we said we didn’t need the seat belts…hated them too. We said we hated the kids being locked down. How could we reach them if they needed our help immediately on the freeway?
Leave Your Child Alone in the Car While Paying for Gas Inside?
So they educated us but some didn’t buy into the whole idea until we aged and the next generation came. There were also laws passed to ‘protect the children from being left in vehicles’ and gas stations began to have you pump the gas. The new dilemma is would you leave your child, infant to older, in your car while you ran inside to pay for the gas…no debit card, no credit card to use at the pump. Or would you go through the process of getting them out of the car, stand in line possibly and then put them back in the car? Some states give you that choice. They have not ‘made the call’ yet as to whether we’ve been making poor choices.
Making My Own Choices
When I’m in charge of my grandchildren, they are my priority. My life at that moment is to protect them as completely as I can even if it’s an inconvenience at different times. This is coming from a grandmother.
I was ‘FOR leaving a child in the car’ when I was a young mom. Hauling them inside a store or gas station was inconvenient to me, to the kids, and nobody elses business if I did or did not leave them in the car. Now that I’m a grandmother, I don’t see any wisdom in leaving them unattended in a car for any length of time.
The law does step in when poor judgment is accepted as the norm….
when habits are established and children become endangered.
We know eventually if it’s poor judgment leaving our child alone in the car:
•by aging (call it hindsight or wisdom),
•by consequences due to our choices,
•by 911 being alerted (Police show up) and
•by laws being created to enforce what they deem as poor judgment on our part.
Or the best way:
- by gaining knowledge of the pros and cons
Do you agree or disagree? What are your thoughts…please leave your comments.
I will not leave my children in the car alone if I am going in to a store for any reason. Times I WILL leave them in the car (since they are all strapped down in their carseats): when I have to walk 2 pumps over to pay at a gas station kiosk thing (that is outside) if something doesn’t work on the pump I am using and when I am parked in my driveway unloading groceries from my car. In both cases, in my opinion, the kids are much safer in the car than out. At the gas pump, it is very dangerous to drag all three little ones through a busy gas station to stand at a tiny window while cars are zooming around. (I do have a friend who had CPS called on her for making the same judgement call – she had 4 children at the time and felt they were safer in the car as well since she was just feet away). While unloading groceries, my little ones can get into a HOST of trouble while minimally supervised as I trudge up and down my steps.
That’s my view on it! Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what works for us.
Audra B recently posted..Safe Errands {Thrive @ Home Thursday}
I hear you, Audra. This will speak to people in different ways. When you are as close as a foot or two feet, there are no issues. Even people who watch to see who is leaving a child in the car wouldn’t see it as an issue.
The tendency is for moms to leave the child alone in the car without the ability to see their child or anyone to see them. I agree, kids in the car are safer when unloading groceries in the driveway.
That being said, what about the moms who get side tracked at the gas station store, get stuck in a long line, get side tracked in their own home while the child is still strapped into the car. Maybe it would help for moms to set up an alarm in their cell phones for only so many minutes to remember their child is in the car…wherever they are.
Yep, it’s probably happened to thousands of moms and grandmas. Hopefully this blog post and our discussions will keep the issue in the forefront of their thoughts. It’s just too easy to forget or get side tracked while the child cooks or freezes in the car.
By the way, your posting on Safe Errands holds a lot of good advice for the issue also! Thanks for commenting…
DonnaPerugini recently posted..Should You Leave Your Child Alone in the Car While Paying for Gas
Hi Donna! I don’t leave my kids in the car either. I’ve seen too many stories, where either parents get in trouble for leaving their kids for just a moment (as in police called, etc when they were just running into someplace “real quick”) or something happens to the child(ren). I’ve seen too many local news stories where someone tries to steal the car, with the child inside.
I usually don’t pump my own gas (hubby does it for me if he knows we have some place to go) and if I have to go in anywhere, everyone goes with me (so, basically, if it’s just a stop to grab something to drink or something like that, we go somewhere w/a drive-thru). The only exception is, if I don’t actually go in to an establishment. If I do have to pump gas, and I pay at the pump, of course everyone waits in the car. Once I was filling up a gallon of water with one of those coin operated water vending machines, and both kids sat in the car (while I was pregnant). I was parked right in front of the vending machine though.
Anyway, leaving the kids in the car here, as far as I can tell, is just a big “no-no” because of the heat factor. It’s just not something that one should get in the habit of doing. I like Audra’s idea of having them wait in the car while groceries are handled, but I guess it just depends on the area/climate.
Becky recently posted..He’s Here!
You’re right, Becky. The area where you live also plays a part in your decision.
I was also thinking about how you as moms would feel if your mother or mother-in-law took the kids somewhere and left them in the car ‘for a just a minute’. I think the first time it happened, if it was my mother I’d talk with her about it. The difficulty is elevated when it’s your MILaw. No matter how nicely you try to ‘fix’ the problem of them leaving your kids in the car while they went into a store, gas station inside counter or (you name it) it would be easier to have a FIRM policy of ‘don’t leave the kids in the car’.
Most grandmothers are clued in, but then there are the exceptions. Even if a friend or babysitter has your kids, it’s good to tell them how you are with leaving your kids in cars.
A firm policy is your best bet for your child’s safety. Unloading groceries with young children would be an exclusion if you use a ‘timer’ alarm to remind you they are in the car. We all forget and get side tracked!
DonnaPerugini recently posted..Should You Leave Your Child Alone in the Car While Paying for Gas
I never leave my son in the car away from home. Occasionally I will leave him in the car while I take things inside the house. I just have no peace of mind about it. Yes its a hassle, but I’d rather have the hassle than a tragedy. 🙂
MB @newlifesteward
Mary Beth recently posted..The 4th of July in the Garden
Mary Beth,
Thanks for leaving your comment. I was also of the mind that I’d rather have a hassle than a tragedy. For some people a tragedy is the police who show up to talk with you about leaving your child in the car. That’s just a ‘wake up call’ even though some may feel it was undeserved.
I have to say that I am sure I did that from time to time, leaving my kids in the car, but it wasn’t a regular thing for me either as I was worried what would happen. I was lucky and never had any problems but it is unsafe.. You hear stories of people stealing the car with the kids inside.. I couldn’t bear that. Thanks for sharing
Shauna Smith recently posted..Other Than Bipolar Issues
Shauna,
Most people don’t even think of someone taking their car with their child inside still. I’m with you…I couldn’t bear that thought either.
Thanks for leaving your thoughtful comment!
I have never left my daughter in the car. I specifically pay at the pump to avoid having to get her out. 🙂
Jenni Mullinix recently posted..Learning to Share Your Story
Jenni,
You’ve given thought to your situation and proved that sometimes just a small adjustment will bring great benefits…
I don’t do gas generally, my husband does for me, so I don’t have that problem to deal with when with the kids.
I have put my kids in our car with our open garage, then ran into the house to grab a couple more things. Our car has a auto start (while it won’t actually drive, it turns on and keeps the car on without the need for the key) therefore the air is on. I won’t leave my kids in the car without the air on in this heat.
Once I did leave my oldest in the car, per his request while at a coffee shop in town, but my eyes were on the car at all times. It’s a small town, and the car was literally RIGHT next to the front of the place.
If I were living San Diego,CA again as apposed to a little town in KS? NO way would I leave my kids in the car much if ever, maybe in the garage (when opened) case, but not at a store or anywhere. To many weirdos out there.
I don’t leave them in the car much though. It’s not a habit. If and whenever I do, I am on alert for some reason. Just instinct I guess.
Sarah recently posted..Berries N’ Cream
Hi, Sarah!
That’s another idea…having a husband fill the car for you. Even filling the car before you get back home while the kids are with the babysitter. I realize that not all the ideas fit everyone, but they are something to think about.
Leaving the car on but having it inoperable is interesting. I didn’t know that with the auto start it would not let a child operate the car.
You’re right about ‘too many weirdos out there’. I’ve heard of strangers walking into your garage with you in the house and taking off with whatever they can get…car, briefcase, purse, you name it.
Moms do need to be on alert at all times. Who can care for your children better than you?!
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
DonnaPerugini recently posted..Should You Leave Your Child Alone in the Car While Paying for Gas
I think it’s not good to leave your child inside the car.. Accident happens anytime. We must be careful and be cautious always..
FANTASTIC, thanks for sharing your heart on this! I have actually had numerous conversations with a set of grandparents who did not (maybe still do not) feel seat belts (in general) or car seats for infants are good and right. One of them, in particular, would give me a hard time whenever I brought a car seat along for our infant (years ago). Once our vehicle broke down and we had to call a friend with a smaller car to come and get us. The person who was with us (our guest) argued with me about transferring the car seat into our friend’s car because it took up too much space and there would not be enough room for his “stuff”. He was quite indignant that I chose child safety over his personal belongings. As for leaving children unattended in a vehicle. My rule for myself was I always had to be able to see them, what they were doing. If I could step away or run into a convenient shop to hand over some money but my car was right there and I could see everything that was going on, I told myself it was okay. Maybe it was a poor choice but thankfully it wasn’t often and things seemed to work out okay. I never leave them unattended in the vehicle if say I am running into the post office, grocery store, etc. and they are out of my sight. I even have a hard time letting them go into the public restroom without me. I always make them go together (buddy system) and I stand by the door and count (so I know how long they’ve been in there). I also pay attention to who goes in there while they are in there and I try to listen for them (incase they need assistance). Maybe this over cautious but, oh well. 🙂
Thank you SO much for dropping by my blog and leaving some encouragment! Please let me know how your boot camp goes!!! Best wishes!
Brook,
That was a heart felt answer! It must have been tough dealing with the grandparents who refused the car seats. I’m wondering if they felt it was okay to not use them because their children ‘survived’ without one.
Restrooms is another issue that I feel can be addressed with the use of ‘family bathrooms’. These are appearing in malls and other high traffic areas. Children go into the restroom with their parents and there is seating to wait while your child is in the one to two stall bathroom. It’s for families and feels a lot safer for your child since you are closer to them whether they are a boy or girl.
People are becoming more aggressive about calling in on pets and children left in cars. I imagine it won’t be too long before many parents and grandparents are caught in a 911 call about their behavior. For sure the police are ticketing for no car seats or use of seat belts.
The car may be a totally safe situation for their child, but that doesn’t stop the calls by others for what they ‘believe they see happening’.
Appreciate your comment!
DonnaPerugini recently posted..Mind Bending Tricks to Show Your Children