Do you leave your children in the car even when you go into 7-11 for a moment.?

Question

I lock my door with a car alarm, and I have a passive alarm also, that you can only start up the car using the key, even if you try to wire it. I run into the 7-11 to pay for gas or buy milk! I have a 9 month old who can't walk, and a wandered for a son, and he likes to run fast. I leave them in the car for their safety. My husband almost got kidnapped in Florida back then when he was with his dad at 7-11! I don't think it's wrong to leave two children in the car, but one I think people can manage. I always bring my children in Food Lion, the bank, the mall, and everywhere other than 7-11, or the movie place to drop off videos. I don't think it's wrong to leave them for a moment in a safe car locked with an alarm.

Is no one reading the actual message? I have a car that physically could not be stolen unless they had my keys.

I believe that my children are safe in the car, no actually I know they are safe in the car. I've had a police officer pull next to my car at the 7-11 and didn't say a word. He politely opened the door for me, and said good morning, nothing else.

I never leave the car on, for my car to catch on fire.

I run into 7-11 for a minute, I have timed myself before, It's not like a chat up a storm with the cashier and have a blast.

ummm? What is my child going to choke on? Their hand? I don't give them food in the car or their toys

Answer 1

sweetie, you have asked a very loaded question! you are the mom. you can do what you need to do.

Answer 2

No. This is dangerous behavior, and if you get caught by the cops you will get in trouble (and rightly so).

You can't depend on a car alarm to protect your children from strangers. Cars with alarms are stolen all the time. You can't depend on kids (especially as they get older) to sit quietly in their seats and not touch the gear shift, the steering wheel or the ignition, especially if you are foolish enough to ever leave the engine running.

You say you're protecting your kids from abduction, but I must point out that they could be kidnapped from Food Lion or the mall just as easily as a convenience store. Parental vigilance is what keeps kids from being taken, not car alarms and not being left in a parking lot. The risks involved in leaving your children unattended in a car are much greater than the risk of them being kidnapped away from you if you're alert and paying attention.

I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be mean, but I think you're completely wrong.

Answer 3

In my opinion I would never leave my son alone in the car even to run in and pay for gas, i also have one of those cars with the alarm and one that can't be stolen without the keys but still that doesn't make me feel secure enough to leave my child in the car for any amount of time. But I do know that everyone believes in doing things their own way so we shouldn't scrutinize this women for asking a question, it depends on a lot of factors do you know a lot of the people in the town you are living in you are surely not leaving the kids in the car while you are in the middle of the guetto or what not. I don't condone leaving a child unattended at any time especially if one can walk or crawl. But I do think that you can get in trouble or even get fined and/or sited for leaving your children unattended but again this is just my opinion.

Answer 4

You mentioned that your husband was almost kidnapped at a 7-11 in Florida when he was with his dad but then state you feel completely comfortable leaving your children alone in a locked vehicle that you feel is incapable of being accessed with out the keys. First off, just the fact that your husband at one point in his life was nearly abducted should make you more protective of your children than that. Second, just for your information, car jackers (even the amateurs) can get into virtually any vehicle created, even yours. Third, you asked in a reply to a question similar to this one (which I have my suspicions that is where this one stems from) " Would you take your 3 or 4 children in to pay for gas?" I have 3 sons who are 8, 9, and 10 and when I am out they are at my side. When they were younger ranging from newborn to 4 years old (nearly a 3 yr gap between the eldest and youngest, my youngest just celebrated his 8th bday and my oldest is about to celebrate his 11th) they would go into every building I went into. Yes it was tedious. Yes, it was difficult. Yes, I dreaded those moments at times. I did it though, because the fact was I would rather deal with the few moments of discomfort than not deal with it at all. Anything could happen in those couple of minutes you leave them alone. Maybe the cashier is having a bad day and takes just 2 seconds longer than you expected and "Little Billy" has reached his wits end with "Brother Jimmy" and tries to quiet him himself. Or "Little Billy" unbuckles and wants to pretend to drive and the car is now in the 7-11. Or the slightest possibility the car jacker stops by your vehicle and has just enough time to get the door open, the car running, and pays no mind that "Little Billy" and "Little Jimmy" are in the back seat. You will be the woman on the news tomorrow crying her kids are gone either by abduction or the accident that occured because you needed a slushy and expect everyone to feel sorry for you when the only ones I will pity are your children and probably your husband for having children with such a mindless, negligent, piece of work such as yourself.

Answer 5

I don't really feel that it is too big of a deal depending on the children. My best friend has four kids and she had three of them with her one day and stopped at a gas station to pick up a bag of ice. When she came out and put the ice in the back of the van, her 4 and a half year old son had gotten ahold of a lighter and tried to burn the fringe off of the hole in the knee of the jeans he was wearing and set his pantleg on fire. He has second and third degree burns from just above his knee down to mid shin and spent two weeks in the burn unit. I have never had an issue trusting my children alone in the car and we live in a fairly small town where the probability of a kidnapping or car jacking are unlikely but with this other situation, it depends on if you can trust your children. It only takes a second for something bad to happen and you may regret it for the rest of your life.

Answer 6

I am sorry these people are being so mean about this! I don't think it's that big of a deal (depending where you live I guess) I was born and raised in a town in Montana so bad things don't happen as much. I never hear of kidnappings, carjackings, etc. Your child is 9 months old.. do these people really think he's going to unbuckle himself from his carseat and burn himself with a lighter or get in the front seat and put the car into drive? I highly doubt it! And if your older son is well behaved and you trust him to behave for a few minutes that's your call.. I honestly think these people are overreacting. It is such a pain in the butt to unbuckle the child and bring him into the store, struggle with holding him/her and your other son running around, try to get your money out of your purse to pay, etc. when it could take you 3 minutes to run in and grab what you need. And these people cannot say they've NEVER left their child alone for 3 minutes.. just leaving a kid in a room in your house could pose a threat.. Kids can get into anything.. I don't know, things where I live are different and they don't worry me, but I don't think this is a problem..

Answer 7

I don't think it's very smart. Someone could hit your car. There are pedophiles around who wouldn't give a damn about your car alarm, they'd just break the window and snatch the kid (and no, 9 months is not too young for a pedophile). The baby could choke on his own saliva (especially possible is he's teething). There are just too many possibilities. You have to be smarter than that.

Answer 8

You mean well and it sounds like you are a good mom but the law won't see it that way. A few years ago a lady in town left her three kids in her car to run into school for just a minute. One child began to play with the car's lighter, you can guess the rest of this horrible story. The mom came rushing out and couldn't get the door unlocked and witnessed the whole tragedy along with a number of other people.
You need to take your kids in with you or have another adult stay with them in the car.

Answer 9

You need to find someone else to watch your kids when you run errands! Do you not get it...it is against the law to leave your children unattended in the car!? Would you take your eyes off your children for a minute while at the mall, the bank, Food Lion? Hopefully, you would not. It only takes a minute for a child to get into trouble!!!

Answer 10

NO WAY... think of what could happen... even if a completely off the wall car accident happened... how would you feel if you ran in to get milk and some idiot lost control of their vehicle, slamming into yours, with your little ones inside. It would be like leaving your baby in the house by himself... a freak fire and you wouldn't be able to get back in to get him... Please don't leave your baby in the car... dropping a movie in the drop box is different... they have drive through drop boxes now a days. Same with banks- drive through atms... Plan ahead for the week when you go grocery shopping, get enough milk for the week, and fuel up outside with a debit card... there are so many better solutions than leaving your child in an unattended vehicle.

Answer 11

I saw a show where a woman left her kids in the car, and I did not catch the beginning, but it appears her car caught on fire and two of her children died. She said she was only running in the store for a minute.

I can't imagine what person would give this a thumbs down. It was a woman on Oprah telling her story to help others from making the same mistake.