Would you leave a toddler asleep in a car?

prospect

The only time I would leave my little one in the car is when I am paying for diesel. This is because it only takes a minute, and I can see the car at all times.

That said, I usually leave the window slightly open (rear drivers side, she is rear passenger side), and obviously have the car locked.

Gillie

Its up there with the bástards who don't put seatbelts on children. Especially Toddlers!

dame

How about leaving a child of three loose in an unlocked car (not in a car seat), while you walk away and around a corner to leave back a trolley? Have seen that done believe it or not. It was hardly even two mins but two mins could be long enough for a child to wander out in front of a car or anything.

Nevyn

Ever seen a child in a run away trolley ?
I have seen it twice so far, the parent was packing the shoopping out of the trolly and into the car with the toddler in the trolly and when enough weight was gone from the trolley it started to roll due to the slope of the carpark.
Each time I got to the troilly just before it hit a car and as the parent turned back around.

People are just not mindful enough.

Crea

My husband worked in a company where one the guys had a child of about 5. He would work days and the wife (a nurse!) worked evenings. She would drop the child to him at 3.45pm. Then the child would be left in his car until he finished work which was around 5.30 or 6. I used to pick up my hubby at 5.30 and the child would by lying accross the back window of the car bored off his head. If he needed anything he could let himself out, walk accross the car park and go into the company and get his dad:eek:
One day someone reached into the car, opened the door and stole a phone. The child was really upset but it didn't stop the parents from leaving him there everyday.

loyatemu

dame wrote:

How about leaving a child of three loose in an unlocked car (not in a car seat), while you walk away and around a corner to leave back a trolley? Have seen that done believe it or not. It was hardly even two mins but two mins could be long enough for a child to wander out in front of a car or anything.

most cars have child-locks on the back doors (ie they can't be opened from the inside). whether people use them or not, I don't know.

Deadevil129

Reading this has reminded me of something I saw when I was a child. I must have been about 4 or 5 and I was sitting in my parents office waiting for my Mum to finish work. I looked out the window and saw a boy I went to school with sitting in a car that was stopped in the middle of the road. So I point to the car, "look mummy it's David!". So my mother who hadn't the faintest idea who Richard was comes over to have a look and realised that there's flames coming out of the front of the car. We go down to ourside the building to look closer at the car and see now that not only have the flames gotten considerably larger but David's mother is running in circles around the car trying to tell everyone around how much the car's worth while her son sits, still strapped into the back of the car.

flyz

loyatemu wrote:

most cars have child-locks on the back doors (ie they can't be opened from the inside). whether people use them or not, I don't know.

That's not much good if the child is unrestrained in an empty car and can get out the front doors.


Here in NZ, there was an incident last year where a couple left their 3 month (or so) old baby in the back of a car over night while they went to a party.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

abi2007 wrote:

Hi All,
so she decided to ring the guards. it was about 15mins after that that the lady returned to her car ...............my mam decided to wait and spoke to the guards when they came.

erm... how long did it take the guards to come.
i would have thought that they would have considered this life threatening situation (i would with windows closed) and arrive ASAP,

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

deisemum wrote:

I've seen numerous babies and toddlers left on their own asleep in cars and it is a fairly common occurance. I know of one woman who used to meet her friends at a local leisure centre for a swim etc and leave her twins asleep in her van instead of putting them in the creche provided.

some people make my blood boil...that behaviour is sick...
smells of that poor Madilen McGann case.... some fcuking people:mad:

di11on

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

some people make my blood boil...that behaviour is sick...
smells of that poor Madilen McGann case.... some fcuking people:mad:

Man, imagine waking up and you're strapped in a seat with no-one around you and no way to get out... you and I would freak... yet some people think it's ok to do this to the most vunerbale people there are and which they have the sole and ultimate responsibility of care towards.

Amazing.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

di11on wrote:

Man, imagine waking up and you're strapped in a seat with no-one around you and no way to get out... you and I would freak...

never thought of it that way....jezzzzzzzus now that is frighting.
I'm surprised some kids aren't scared for life...i suppose some poor ould devils are

Deliverance

di11on wrote:

Man, imagine waking up and you're strapped in a seat with no-one around you and no way to get out... you and I would freak... yet some people think it's ok to do this to the most vunerbale people there are and which they have the sole and ultimate responsibility of care towards.

Amazing.

I think that is a very good point. I tend to show my little girl the same respect in that sense by thinking how would I feel if that was me, and I treat her as such, little kids have a much bigger fear factor to deal with, being so helpless and emotionally underdeveloped, in my opinion.

Point in fact is bedtime I have a routine for bedtime which starts a half hour beforehand so that she knows it is coming, by the time bedtime comes she goes down easy, she puts her favourite stuffed animals to bed first and they 'fall asleep' shortly afterwards she follows and is quite happy. I think that if I just announced 'bedtime' and picked her up and dropped her into her cot and left, then she would cry herself to sleep.

I think a little time and thought makes things a whole lot easier for child and parent.
The leaving of a child in a car alone is something which is beyond me, I in all good conscience could never do it for a lot of reasons already posted by responsible parents on this thread, what were they thinking leaving a kid alone like that!!

gaeilgegrinds

Absolutely not! It infuriates me to no end! Were the parents embarrassed or did they think this was ok behaviour? Under no circumstances, totally irresponsible.

cormac_byrne

I would call the Gardai immediately. If I had concerns for the health / safety of the child I wouldn't hesitate to force entry into the car prior to their arrival.

It's perfectly legal to damage property in order to safeguard a life.
('lawful excuse' I believe it's termed)

If possible I would use a jack handle or tyre lever to force open a door rather then breaking a window (for fear of showering the baby with glass)

EcoGirl

Likewise, I witnessed this once; three children, 3, 2, and baby, in car. I rang our local guards, and waited till they came - about 10 mins, they didn't rush themselves, and didn't seem overconcerned when they got there.

But I always remember the Jamie Bolger case - a woman actually stopped the two boys iwth the crying Jamie, and questined them, and believed their answers (that they were bringing him to the police station), and let them on their way. I often think of her and how awful she will feel for the rest of her life. And I swore I would never be that woman. So I'll continue to do what I need to do, up to breaking windows if I need to (which hasn't happened yet).

It's shocking how neglectful so many parents are. Totally scary.

gaeilgegrinds

Do the Gardaí actually do anything though? Is it true Madelline's parents are being taken to court over being negligent or is that an urban myth?

gaeilgegrinds

Do the Gardaí actually do anything though? Is it true Madelline's parents are being taken to court over being negligent or is that an urban myth?

cathy01

the person who broke the window and called the Garda done the right thing.I would never leave my 4 year old alone in the car.Wake her/Him.
There are dangers everywhere, why leave our children like a red flag to a bull alone, ...
Would never happen with me.To the person who broke the window ,
WELL DONE
we need more people like you.I may be OTT, with not letting people take scean vioews of MY KIDS while in a swimming pool as I dont know who they are.Freak, over pro mother ,maybe.But I never ever take a chance.
Cathy

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

cormac_byrne wrote:

I would call the Gardai immediately.

ah but what if the child was in imminent danger, no point in calling the guards then...the child would be dead...

abi2007 wrote:

Hi All,
so she decided to ring the guards. it was about 15mins after that that the lady returned to her car ..........................but my mam decided to wait and spoke to the guards when they came.

na break the window....then call the ambulance...at least the will show up that day and they will call the guards...the boys in blue will show up for them in a hurry alright

V1llianous

I wouldn't - if our little fella is due a nap or even a possibility of dropping off in the car we make sure we aren't scheduled or trying to do something restricted by time.

I was doing a load of errands last week and he dropped off so just decided to get the car washed while we both snoozed

I make sure I always have a book in the car in case I arrive at the destination and he isn't ready.

Pete67

Not car related, but similar theme:

Was at a family wedding last year in Donegal, we brought our 3 little ones including a 6 month old and stayed in a family room in the hotel. We took turns to enjoy the evening entertainment while the other stayed with the kids in the room.

About 3:30 am we were woken by sound of child of about 2 in hysterics in a room on the other side on the corridor, about 5 doors down from ours. The poor mite was terrified, kept shouting and thumping the door. Turns out she had been left alone asleep in a dark room in a strange hotel when the so called parents enjoyed themselves at the wedding on the other side of the hotel, two floors down. The door was locked, so we could not get in.

I had to go downstairs and get the night porter to try to find the parents - he suceeded after about 20 mins, the child inconsolable all the time. What kind of people think this is acceptable???

gaeilgegrinds

Very bad parents, that's who.

Ickle Magoo

I don't know why people do it...I have two kids & neither of them have ever objected to being lifted out of the car & put reclined in the buggy or into their cot rather than sleeping upright in a tight harness in their car seats. I have also turned round & driven home again if they fall asleep & can't sit in a trolly - the shops will be there later in the day or another day, same cannot be said of my child if I left them unattended anywhere.

As to dragging them along to some event just so they can look cute on the day then be abandoned at night so their parents can party...*shakes head sadly*

DVD-Lots

My wife is always telling me stories of when her Dad used to leave her, her sister and 2 brothers in the car all day while he went to work, they would have been from 3ys - 8 yrs old. Funny thing is that her dad was a Garda!!! :eek:

We now have 2 kids ourselves and there is no chance of us doing the same. Last year the little fellah (3yrs old) only locked himself and his sister (1yr old) into the car (keys in wifes bag in boot, don't ask) as we were getting ready for a trip to the beach and only 2 days after I bought the car. Calmly phoned Breakdown Assist, they said they would be 30 mins. Little fellah got freaked (he was free in the car) and started crying and our little girl (strapped into a seat) was whinging a bit but OK. I was still calm until the little girl pulled the sun hat over her eyes and she couldn't see anything. Grabbed the nearest brick and smashed the passenger window so as not to shower the kids. At least the insurance covered the breakage but I couldn't bear to see the little one scream and panic.

kelle

Pete67 wrote:

Not car related, but similar theme:

Was at a family wedding last year in Donegal, we brought our 3 little ones including a 6 month old and stayed in a family room in the hotel. We took turns to enjoy the evening entertainment while the other stayed with the kids in the room.

About 3:30 am we were woken by sound of child of about 2 in hysterics in a room on the other side on the corridor, about 5 doors down from ours. The poor mite was terrified, kept shouting and thumping the door. Turns out she had been left alone asleep in a dark room in a strange hotel when the so called parents enjoyed themselves at the wedding on the other side of the hotel, two floors down. The door was locked, so we could not get in.

I had to go downstairs and get the night porter to try to find the parents - he suceeded after about 20 mins, the child inconsolable all the time. What kind of people think this is acceptable???

I am so shocked and horrified to read that (along with all the other stories on this thread). I would be scared myself if I woke up in my own room and it was dark (I like a hall light on), I can't imagine what it was like for this poor child. My husband and I have been at numerous weddings and either take turns to stay with sleeping children, or get a babysitter. And I'd have the phone in my hand anxiously awaiting texts should a child wake up.

DVD-Lots wrote:

Last year the little fellah (3yrs old) only locked himself and his sister (1yr old) into the car (keys in wifes bag in boot, don't ask) as we were getting ready for a trip to the beach and only 2 days after I bought the car. Calmly phoned Breakdown Assist, they said they would be 30 mins. Little fellah got freaked (he was free in the car) and started crying and our little girl (strapped into a seat) was whinging a bit but OK. I was still calm until the little girl pulled the sun hat over her eyes and she couldn't see anything. Grabbed the nearest brick and smashed the passenger window so as not to shower the kids. At least the insurance covered the breakage but I couldn't bear to see the little one scream and panic.

God help you all! It was scary for your kids, but at least they could see you so it wasn't so bad. And you were also able to come to the rescue when it mattered.