by Kathleen

Created on: June 08, 2008

Absolutely. The fact that a parent leaves any child alone in a car points to the level of parenting skills and complete lack of. For anyone to consider leaving a child alone in hopes that there will be no tragedy is a risk that a responsible adult would never consider with their beloved child.

The risk of "unharmed" versus "harmed" is not something that should ever be debated. Aside from the obvious fact that temperatures rise and children are braindamaged or die, or that it litterally only takes 20 seconds to have your child stolen, never to be seen again alive, making that "2 minute" trip into the market is something that should be considered an unnecessary risk.

Having your child "unharmed" is a gift after you have made a serious misjudgement with your child's wellfare. But charges should be faced because it shows the world that you are not putting your child's wellfare first. If you are willing to take these risks, where does it end? You have to leave a toddler alone in the pool while you make a call? You let a 4 year old play outside unattended? None of these situations may end up in tragedy but all of these situations may end up in tragedy, and it should never be a game of chance when you are talking about a child.

Because no harm was done does not make it acceptable any more than running a red light is ok if you don't have an accident! These are children! They have no choice in your decisions and are counting on you to make the ones that put their safety first.

If you feel it is absolutely necessary to get gas or to buy milk as a responsible adult and a parent it is your job to decide how to get that done without endangering your children.

Find a sitter if you must go yourself.
Call a friend/spouse/family member to pick up the groceries.
Pay attention to your gas tank and get it when your child is awake, or not with you.
If none of these float your boat...take the children in with you.

Using the excuse that you have 3 or 4 small children and that it's inconvenient to drag them into stores is not a worthy excuse, you lost that battle when you became a mommy. I am the mother of small children. I have struggled with these situations, so I have timed myself getting them in and out of a car. It's another minute added to my time and a little extra wrangling with them in the store, but hey it's only 2 minutes right? We won't be in there long enough to cause much of a spectacle.

If people make the wrong parenting choices in public, they are making worse choices behind closed doors.

Basically it's all about the safety and wellbeing of the child. If you choose to leave your precious baby alone in the car and you are LUCKY enough to still have an "unharmed" child when you return you absolutely need to be fined. Maybe hitting you in the pocket book will be the only thing that gets through to you.

Someone needs to be looking out for your chid since you obviously aren't.

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