Kids left in cars

[gruntygiggles]

On the topic of broken glass hurting a child...get a sharp pointed, strong object...preferably metal point, hold it against the glass tight into one of the top corners of the window and hit the end hard with a hammer or whatever you have. That way the glasslike shatter completely, leaving no sharp edges and it will not spray into the vehicle either. if you just hit at the window in any old fashion, yes...someone could well get serious injuries from the broken glass.

I am sure there will be someone on here that can give a better description of how to do this than me, but I was shown it years ago and it works!

Originally Posted by MisterTommyH

Matt, remember we're not in Oz and these temperatures, although we think they are hot are actually not. I agree with your strategy for any length of time, but calling Nobbys post weak is a little harsh.

Over here there is a serious consideration that damage from flying glass etc would do more harm - I certainly would keep an eye on the situation like Ralph, or report it but wouldnt smash a window unless the child was in distress or passing out.

With regard to the not leaving your child while you go to pay for petrol? Why not? I don't understand this?

And with the god forbid a car crashes into them..... Your being there isn't going to change this...... You would probably be injured too...... The logic doesn't quite work for me.

True I don't have kids, but I have a lot of friends who do, and there are those that wrap up with cotton wool and those that don't. Those that don't (in my limited friendship groups) seem to have more capable, independent, developed children probably completely off point but I think there are unseen negatives in being too protective.

Agree with everything you've said.

Taking your kid out of the car when you pay for fuel is a horrific over-reaction. Too many kids are over-protected nowadays and as you say, they are the ones who have trouble interacting with others. My kids were never wrapped in cotton wool, my eldest rode her bike to school 2 miles away and did so from the age of 8 or 9, when she moved to a school 8 miles away at age 11 she took the bus alone or with friends, when she came home from school she took her crosser over the pits with mates and spent an hour or so tearing round and falling off. My other three were outside playing whenever they could, they climbed trees and fell out of them, they gave each other backies on bikes and crashed them, they went to the park as a bunch of kids and played there until curfew time, they got left in the car at petrol stations and didn't care less... and nor did we. Just before I started seeing their mum (who was a friend from years before) I remember going to the bank and seeing Jane's car parked outside with the three of them inside it (eldest aged 5) and mum in the bank, in fact it was that chance meeting with her in the bank that was the start of our relationship.

In today's world kids need to toughen up not be pampered into non-existence. Half the kids I see today have serious social skills difficulties and I do wonder if it's over-protective parents who are to blame for it.

A child under 18months, 2 years to be safe does not have the ability to sweat or control their body temperature unfortunately this is the age group which also fall asleep instantly in a car so a parent popping in to the shops for a couple of items for tea may think leaving the child sleeping is doing everybody a favour but getting innocently stuck in a large que could be that child's death sentence, sadly it does happen or so the glossy mags at the docs say it does.

In your situation Ralph is be less worried of instant danger if the alarm wasn't going off. Id be wondering, was the kid too hot so tried to open the door, this set off the alarm and now he/she is playing musical statues in preparation of a "I didn't do it" plea when their parent returns. If so then this kid needs help but an approach to the car can easily be misconstrue so my FIRST action would be to collar another witness preferably a woman who can go ask the child if they're ok with out an ironically over protective parent returning and seeing a bloke encouraging their child to open the door. If the 2nd witness finds the child to be dazed/confused then it's time to bring out the big guns and start popping glass. T-shirt round your hand and punch through the glass, try ignore the glass and instead pretend to be going to punch the headrest or steering wheel hit it fairly square on and you'll pop it no problem they take surprisingly little effort to put through.

[flymo]

Regardless of temperature, I don't think that leaving a 4 or 5 year old child unsupervised is a responsible thing to do. This isnt about pampering or developing independence, its about carrying out your obligations as a parent or guardian.

This doesn't need to be anal, simply done responsibly. If you can see your child well enough to ensure they are supervised then I think fine. Leaving them in a car to wander off to the bank, shops, whatever is not. Not at that age.