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Location: Sodo Sopa at The Villas above Kenny' s House.
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I'm 42 and my mother left me in the car numerous times growing up. Sometimes more then 15 min. I was probably at least 5. It's odd to think about now because as a grandma she won't have my daughter out of her sight. Overly protective. But I guess she just adjusted to cultural norms each time. I've left my kid in the car running into gas stations and places I could see from the Windows. No more then 5 min. But it's something I have to analyze before doing.
My mom used to leave me in the car for a few minutes while she ran inside a place when I was a kid, maybe starting around age 5. I lived. It was when I was old enough to know how to and be able to understand locking and unlocking doors, and she would usually leave the car running and tell me to lock the doors and unlock them when she got back. I survived, and my mom's not a terrible mother. I told her that she used to do this recently, given the controversy with leaving kids in cars, and she doesn't recall ever doing this for some reason, but she did, for little stops here and there that literally took maybe 5-10 minutes. She probably doesn't recall because it was such an insignificant thing to do.
Look, we all had parents who did things differently. Cars used to not have seatbelts for that matter and football players used to wear leather helmets and link arms as they ran down the field literally stepping on the other team.
As additional safety techniques are developed things are going to change. Taking your kids or your pets out of the car is one of them.
That's exactly right: it's a much different world from when a lot of us grew up. Children were left in cars regularly, with the windows down on warm days. There weren't as many crazy people around. I walked and biked to school until I was old enough to drive myself to high school.
Today, children can be stolen by all manner of mentally ill dweebs. In some areas, it pays to never take your eyes off babies and toddlers. They can disappear in an instant.
And before I get slammed: that's not true in all areas! But there are certainly places where it pays to have eyes in the back of your head if you're a parent.
That's exactly right: it's a much different world from when a lot of us grew up. Children were left in cars regularly, with the windows down on warm days. There weren't as many crazy people around. I walked and biked to school until I was old enough to drive myself to high school.
Today, children can be stolen by all manner of mentally ill dweebs. In some areas, it pays to never take your eyes off babies and toddlers. They can disappear in an instant.
And before I get slammed: that's not true in all areas! But there are certainly places where it pays to have eyes in the back of your head if you're a parent.
But yet the statistics show otherwise. I think that it is just more apparent in the news vs in the old days when you didn't hear about it.
so last summer there were plenty of cases of neglect where the father intentionally killed his kid in a car, mother goes to work while kids in car, gambles, drinks etc while kids are the car.
the article linked above take the view of what if the adult is not an A-hole and just a rational adult of sound mind parent.
there have been a few times now in the 13 months i've been a father that i have wanted to leave my (usually sleeping) child in the car for 5-10 minutes while i run into a post office, bank, dunkin doughnuts, etc. All these times the weather was below 70 and the car could be left running or not and i would have allowed my child to rest and gotten my task done faster than taking the car seat out and the stroller and diaper bag, etc.
I was confident that my child would be in no harm during the time but the only thing that prevents me from doing that is the overly cautious, i want to be in everyones business, stranger wannabe hero that may pass by for those few minutes and assume a monster is trying to kill their kid.
the **** storm of problems that i have read about when cops and CPS get involved for honest well intentioned parents caught in a ridiculous legal battle because of a stranger have kept me afraid of doing this.
i love my kid and would never put her in harms way but sometimes one can use a break and if everyone (parent and child) is better off in the 5-10 minute safe scenario it would be nice to know i have that option without fear of legal battles.
i'd like to see everyone else views on this. state if you are a parent or not for perspective.
I am a parent and I NEVER, not ever, leave my grandkids alone in the car, and they are now 3 & 6. I also never left my kids alone in the car. There are so many things that can happen, resulting in the death of my child or grandchild that I would never get over it if something happened. If you want to live your life that way, putting your kids in danger, you go right ahead, but rest assured, if I see you leave your kids in the car, I will be that crazy heifer that bashes your windows in & calls the cops.
Let's not have this thread get derailed by kidnapping fears, but nearly all kidnappings are still done by someone the family already knows, not some stranger.
"Despite these huge numbers, very few children are victims of the kinds of crimes that so-often lead local and national news reports. According to NCMEC, just 115 children are the victims of what most people think of as "stereotypical" kidnapping, which the center characterizes thusly: "These crimes involve someone the child does not know or someone of slight acquaintance, who holds the child overnight, transports the child 50 miles or more, kills the child, demands ransom, or intends to keep the child permanently."
Of these 115 incidents, 57 percent ended with the return of the child. The other 43 percent had a less happy outcome." CNN.com - Anderson Cooper 360° Blog
O/P it's a different world now a days. I grew up during the time people left their strollers outside a store with sleeping baby in it as they ran an errand, in the city my mom did this with me and siblings many a time
Problem today is so many absent minded parents who forget the child is in the car you risk a broken window or worse if a passerby sees it as they don't know how long child has been there.
Most people from my generation have left child in car for quick errand. Now my adult children would never do it with their children and I understand why.
it's funny when people say this because the world is different in that it's SUBSTANTIALLY SAFER today than the time when people left their strollers outside a store as they ran an errand.
Honestly, the reason to not leave your kid in the car has nothing to do with child abduction (which is extremely rare and usually done by someone you know), it's because the child could have health problems while you're gone and cannot help themselves.
it's not likely to be a problem, but it's one of those extremely easily avoidable risks.
That's exactly right: it's a much different world from when a lot of us grew up. Children were left in cars regularly, with the windows down on warm days. There weren't as many crazy people around. I walked and biked to school until I was old enough to drive myself to high school.
Today, children can be stolen by all manner of mentally ill dweebs. In some areas, it pays to never take your eyes off babies and toddlers. They can disappear in an instant.
And before I get slammed: that's not true in all areas! But there are certainly places where it pays to have eyes in the back of your head if you're a parent.
actually, there were plenty of crazy people around - people just weren't aware of it then. no 24 hour news cycle. no sex offender registry. etc. etc.
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O/P it's a different world now a days. I grew up during the time people left their strollers outside a store with sleeping baby in it as they ran an errand, in the city
