what should i have done? - Page 2

[ChristyMarie]

In warm weather I would have opened windows and taken the keys with me. Our library drop box is about 12 feet and this is what I do.

[momtoS]

First..I am jealous that it is warm where you are....

I would have taken the keys with me and turned off the car.

Interestingly, I posted a similiar question a while ago. It was interesting to read the replies. http://www.mothering.com/discussions...788&highlight=

There were interesting discussions, and some people must take their children out EVERY time or have their car on the vehicle while doing things.

I often put my two in the car, and then walk 20 away to lock to door to the house. I feel they are safer locked in my car, that I can see...than running around in my yard while I lock the door...

[JessieBird]

Depending on what my instincts said at the time, I think I would have done the same as you did. If you were the only one there, with no one else in sight, then you could have gotten back to the car faster than anyone else could have gotten to it. If a shady looking vehicle/person suddenly showed up, it sounds like you could have dropped the books and been back in the car in two seconds.

I take these situations case-by-case and generally err on the side of caution. It took me more than a year before I left DS in the car alone for the first time, and then it was to run less than 10 feet to the mailbox. I am now comfortable with going to the mail box or a drop off box now but draw the line at going into a store, even if only for a second. I know every drive-through bank machine and full serve or pay-at-the-pump gas station in town.

There is an easy solution for those quick runs in pouring rain type situations - would love to know if anyone sees a problem with this - keep an extra car key in your purse. This way you can lock your car (running or not, depending on weather) when you walk away. Don't just keep an extra remote opener just in case the battery went dead. But a spare remote and a real key. I don't let this approach permit me to take chances (because it comes with it's own set of risks) but it does give me peace of mind that I'm not going to accidentally lock my son in the car, which honestly is a greater fear of mine than having someone drive off with him and I might consider a lightening fast run into the corner store when the kiddos get a bit older if I could lock them in.

[mamalisa]

These are the kinds of things I don't sweat, for even a second.

The odds of someone running up on my car while I am returning a stack of library books, seeing that my car is both unlocked and running, seeing my car AND kids and thinking "HOT DOG! Free car, WITH KIDS!!!" are so slim that it doesn't even occur to me to worry about it.

I leave them in the car. Well, now I make the almost 10 year old return the books, cuz I'm lazy.

[Alyantavid]

For that short of time, I would have left them, locked the doors and taken the keys. I wouldn't ever leave my kids in a running car with the keys in it and the door open.

[cappuccinosmom]

Unless there was a gut feeling not to, I would have done the same thing--although I would have cracked the windows, taken the keys, and locked the car. I don't see a problem with leaving them for what? 60 seconds? and with the car in your line of site. The car is not going to overheat in 60 seconds, especially if the a/c has been running.

[DivineMrsM]

Most often, I take the keys. But in your instance, I would likely have done the same as you did.

I live in a small, safe town. I leave the kids in the car all the time, though I do crack the window and locked the doors and take the keys if I'm more than 20 feet away.

[Jaxinator]

In that exact situation I would have turned the car off and locked the doors, but left the kids in there.
I know it was hot, but like you said, it was maybe 30 ft, and the time it takes the car's temp wouldn't have been a problem.

There was an incident in my old town, a woman did the same thing, left her car running with the kids in it to grab something in a convenience store and it was stolen, kid and all. Luckily the child was fine, the guy didn't realize the kid was in the car and I think he came back and everything turned out ok in the end. Granted she was inside of a store, but still scary.

I just tried googling the story, and came up with a similar thing that happen in New Haven, CT too. :/

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

This is why I love my remote starter. Ive done it before, where the kids are asleep in the car, and I have to run into the house for something. Im not going to wake them up when they are sitting in our own driveway and Im just running into the house. I turn the car off, then turn it back on with the remote starter so I can take the keys with me and lock the doors, while the air/heater is running.

[leighi123]

To drop library books, I pull up right in front of the building, leave the windows down, but lock the car and take the keys (I just have the button you push to lock all the doors).

The distance away I am from the car, I can hear Levi talking away (he never stops talking!) so I know he is fine.

[just_lily]

Originally Posted by Jaxinator

There was an incident in my old town, a woman did the same thing, left her car running with the kids in it to grab something in a convenience store and it was stolen, kid and all. Luckily the child was fine, the guy didn't realize the kid was in the car and I think he came back and everything turned out ok in the end. Granted she was inside of a store, but still scary.

I just tried googling the story, and came up with a similar thing that happen in New Haven, CT too. :/

I don't think that is the same thing though. For me, there is a major difference between leaving the kids in the car while you drop off a movie or library book, pick up the mail at an outdoor box, or return a shopping cart and actually going into a store.

When you are still outside in the same general vicinity of your vehicle you are going to be more aware of the people around you. You are also less likely to be delayed in any of these situations.... walk to the drop off slot, stick books in, come back.

If you are actually going into the store you are removing yourself from the environment. You may not hear the sound of someone approaching, your car door opening, or your kids yelling for help. Your attention is going to be more focused on your task - even picking out milk takes more mental concentration that sticking books in a slot. And you also run the risk of being delayed. It is unlikely there will be a line up at the mailbox, but you may get stuck behind the guy checking 47 lottery tickets at the convenience store.

So IMHO, doing things outside or your car in the immediate vicinity is ok if you are in a safe area and listen to your instincts, but actually going in to a store is generally a bad idea.

[Jaxinator]

Originally Posted by just_lily

I don't think that is the same thing though. For me, there is a major difference between leaving the kids in the car while you drop off a movie or library book, pick up the mail at an outdoor box, or return a shopping cart and actually going into a store.

That's why I said "granted she was inside of a store".

My point with that story was that I believe that anything can happen no matter how quick I am, whether in the store or running 30 ft to the drop box. If something can happen in the time it takes to grab milk, something can happen in the time it takes to drop off books. And that story hit close to home, literally.

The risk may be extremely small that something will happen, but locking my doors is automatic anyway, and the effort it takes to turn on my car again is so very minimal that the benefit far outweighs it.

I certainly don't think that the OP (or anyone else) recklessly endangered her children or anything though. Especially if they live in a safer town than I did, which is likely.

[4evermom]

My primary concern is I'll accidentally lock the kids in the car. I always leave the car door open when I get out to open the garage door for that reason. I'm afraid I'll automatically punch down the button before slamming it. My secondary concern would be that the toddler suddenly learns how to unbuckle and somehow puts the car in gear. So I'd be totally fine with the drop box scenario except I'd take the keys, leaving the window open if need be.

[Mackenzie]

Originally Posted by Jaxinator

In that exact situation I would have turned the car off and locked the doors, but left the kids in there.
I know it was hot, but like you said, it was maybe 30 ft, and the time it takes the car's temp wouldn't have been a problem.

There was an incident in my old town, a woman did the same thing, left her car running with the kids in it to grab something in a convenience store and it was stolen, kid and all. Luckily the child was fine, the guy didn't realize the kid was in the car and I think he came back and everything turned out ok in the end. Granted she was inside of a store, but still scary.

I just tried googling the story, and came up with a similar thing that happen in New Haven, CT too. :/

That's why its now illegal in WA...

[Quinalla]

I would roll down the windows (for the locking the kids in accidentally scenario more than anything) and take the keys out, but yes, I would definitely leave kids in to run up to a slot a few feet away from the car. I don't leave my car running unlocked even by myself for the worry that it would be too tempting for someone to steal and I don't want to leave a car running with children too young to understand or have impulse control to not mess with the car. But yeah, this really isn't any different to me than stopping and filling up my gas at a pay-at-the-pump place. I'm just walking a few more steps away from the car and I am ok with that.

[rubidoux]

I would put the windows down and take the keys. The one thing I would not do under any circumstances is to close them into a car w windows up and a/c off -- I find that way too scary -- what if I have a heart attack or something and don't make it back? What you did, close them in with a/c on I see as pretty reasonable. The odds of them car jacked are astronomically low. Of me having a heart attack or something? Probably low, too, that's just my hang up.

[phathui5]

I think what you did was fine. I wouldn't have been comfortable leaving the keys in the car, but I would have been comfortable leaving the kids in the car. Actually, they were probably safer there than they would have been walking across the parking lot.

[CarrieMF]

I would have done similar.

i would not have left the car door open.

Our car starter can be pressed while the keys are in the ignition & then you can take the keys out but the car is still running.

[waiting2bemommy]

I leave my kids in the car for stuff like this, but I always, ALWAYS leave the window open. I will leave ds and dd in the car together if I need to pay for gas or something, but depending on the situation if it's just dd I won't leave her. I feel like if I leave a window open A) they won't burn up, should something happen to me and I take too long and B) ds can yell for help in a real emergency.

oh...but I rarely if ever leave the keys in the car.