Do you leave mindees in the car?

[onceinabluemoon]

I don't drive so it's not really an issue for me, however I used to go mad at my ex for leaving our children in his car when he 'just popped into a shop' for two minutes, anything could have happened.

As for leaving mindees in cars unattended, in England it's a definite no no, one of the local minders here was (maliciously) reported for doing it and ofsted were on her doorstep like a shot.

WRT to the member who does it with the CC's blessing, I am gobsmacked that their rules are so much more lax than ofsted's!

[jelly15]

I never left my own in the car, ever, so I certainly wouldn't do it with someone elses, no matter how much of a pain it is.

When my own DSs were in primary school a car in the car park just went up in flames and melted the paint work on the cars either side of it. No one in any of the cars at the time, thank heavens.

[Curly Quavers]

I do but it I arrive at the school 20 minutes before pick up so that I can park right opposite the gates. The only parking at the school is on the opposite side of the road and traffic is really bad at that time of day. I literally get out of the car as the children come out of school and I leave the two babies strapped in the car. I only go as far as the gate across the road so I can see the babies at all times. It is far safer than trying to get across the road with two lo's in my arms and a 4 yr old tagging along with all his bags etc. Mums are aware and are happy too. If I only have 1 baby I get her out. Its all about risk assesment really. I am only about 10 feet away from them at all times. And I have discussed this with my inspector too, and we went into what I would do if I had to go further etc. In that case I would go back for the babies. I have to take the car even though the school is just around the corner because I have another pick up 2 miles away.

I agree with this I don't leave the kids in the car if I am anymore that 3 feet from it. Otherwise everybody comes.

If I see minders leaving children in the car on a regular basis I would perhaps for 1 week make notes and when they leave the kids and for how long for then report them.

[Curly Quavers]

Unless you know the whole set up its unfair to criticise.

If your parents and inspector are happy then you are doing OK.

I think we ALL agree including Cheeky Monkey that it is not acceptable to leave children in a car when they are not in view.

[Alibali]

I don't drive so it's not really an issue for me, however I used to go mad at my ex for leaving our children in his car when he 'just popped into a shop' for two minutes, anything could have happened.

As for leaving mindees in cars unattended, in England it's a definite no no, one of the local minders here was (maliciously) reported for doing it and ofsted were on her doorstep like a shot.

WRT to the member who does it with the CC's blessing, I am gobsmacked that their rules are so much more lax than ofsted's!

I don't think it was CC I think it was CSSIW, CC are really strict on this one too x

[sweets]

when i used to do school runs then i did exactly the same as cheeky monkey. would get to school ridiculously early to get a certain space that was on a quiet road right opposite the back school gate. i would stay in the car till the very last min then cross over (small street not main road) and cross the older mindees over.

i could see the car and the children all the time and children were always left strapped in.

i think you could look too much into dangers! yes the car could have set on fire for no apparant reason but its highly unlikely, i have been driving for 24 years and never seen it happen.

i dont do school runs now but i live on a terraced street with no driveway so if i have 2 babies to unload then i take one in at once and leave them in the hall with the door open and the keys on me! while i go back for the other. its prob left no longer than cheeky monkey doing her school run. i will continue to do it as there is no other way!


there is no way i would leave a child in a car for more than a min or so and would never leave if i wasnt in sight of the car all the time. but i do think things have to be put into prospective.

[Tink]

I cannot believe this question has even been asked.
I would never leave a child in the car alone, my goodness, i'm sorry but if you are in a position where you can't take them with you to pick up another child from school, then you need to terminate the contract of the school child.

Children's safety is paramount and if a childminder left my daughter in a car they would know about it

[Daftbat]

when i used to do school runs then i did exactly the same as cheeky monkey. would get to school ridiculously early to get a certain space that was on a quiet road right opposite the back school gate. i would stay in the car till the very last min then cross over (small street not main road) and cross the older mindees over.

i could see the car and the children all the time and children were always left strapped in.

i think you could look too much into dangers! yes the car could have set on fire for no apparant reason but its highly unlikely, i have been driving for 24 years and never seen it happen.

i dont do school runs now but i live on a terraced street with no driveway so if i have 2 babies to unload then i take one in at once and leave them in the hall with the door open and the keys on me! while i go back for the other. its prob left no longer than cheeky monkey doing her school run. i will continue to do it as there is no other way!


there is no way i would leave a child in a car for more than a min or so and would never leave if i wasnt in sight of the car all the time. but i do think things have to be put into prospective.

I agree with this statement. We are always doing risk assessments and in these situations yes, we would all obviously do what is best to ensure the safety of the child and ourselves. the lady who drives to school early to get a parking space is putting the children at no more risk by stepping out of the car to see children across the road than she is by actually sitting in the car with them for 20 mins whilst she waits for the school day to finish. Analogies put forward by people such as the car catching fire or being crashed in to by another vehicle can happen whether you are in the car or not. It is nonsensicle to anticipate the worst every time you are out and about with the chidlren. The children in your care have to be within sight or sound of you at all times - otherwise we would be taking the children to the toilet with us every time too.

I see no problem with being near enough to your car to see the children at all times whilst you cross another child over a busy road and have had this conversation with an Ofsted inspector in the past.

Its quite another thing to do what the OP has witnessed and this cannot be condoned in any way. Please though can we stop seeing ultimate drama and crisis in the slightest movement away from our mindees.

[crazyhazy]

I cannot believe this question has even been asked.
I would never leave a child in the car alone, my goodness, i'm sorry but if you are in a position where you can't take them with you to pick up another child from school, then you need to terminate the contract of the school child.

Children's safety is paramount and if a childminder left my daughter in a car they would know about it

Not sure why I'm being picked up on for daring to ask, if you'd read the OP correctly you'd see it's not me doing it, I don;t drive for a start and live next door to the school for another! I've only been childminding for a month and while I was sure it wasn't right myself cos I'd certainly never do it I just wondered if perhaps other minders did do it. I am going to keep a note for the next week to see if it happens again and if so I will report the other minder to the cc.

[Blaze]

Crazyhazy you were perfectly right to ask - I'm sure it wasn't meant to come across as you weren't - this thread seems to have got a tad heated! If in doubt ask I think!!! (You might not always like the answer though LOL )

[Blaze]

I cannot believe this question has even been asked.
I would never leave a child in the car alone, my goodness, i'm sorry but if you are in a position where you can't take them with you to pick up another child from school, then you need to terminate the contract of the school child.

Children's safety is paramount and if a childminder left my daughter in a car they would know about it

...Not that I think your opinion is in anyway wrong - because I feel the same way about my child & to me it is common sense - but common sense does not always prevail! Not only that what someone feels personally may be against the norm of the profession IYSWIM?

[sarah707]

Not sure why I'm being picked up on for daring to ask, if you'd read the OP correctly you'd see it's not me doing it, I don;t drive for a start and live next door to the school for another! I've only been childminding for a month and while I was sure it wasn't right myself cos I'd certainly never do it I just wondered if perhaps other minders did do it. I am going to keep a note for the next week to see if it happens again and if so I will report the other minder to the cc.

I thought it was an excellent question!

I know a childminder who regularly left minded children in her car while she did pick ups. She was reported and stopped doing it.

I would say yes, if you see it happening report them.

At the end of the day it's about children's safety isn't it?

[tulip0803]

No I never leave children in cars anywhere.

I don't leave them to pay for petrol as when DS was little a petrol station I used on the A2 had a lorry plough into it & the pumps & cars went up. Luckily no one got hurt but if a child had been strapped into a car they wouldn't have got out.

I am under CSSIW and as Manjay says it is in the regs not to leave them in vehicles.

[aly]

[/color]

I don't think it was CC I think it was CSSIW, CC are really strict on this one too x

I can't see how they said yes to her though as manjay says it is in the minimum standards that we are not allowed to, myself manjay and Tulipare under cssiw as well as the other person.

[snufflepuff]

i live on a terraced street with no driveway so if i have 2 babies to unload then i take one in at once and leave them in the hall with the door open and the keys on me! while i go back for the other.

Like i said earlier, this is exactly what i do, except i have a driveway. After reading all these replies i am now wondering if there is possibly another way of doing things? I thought i was doing it in the safest and most practical way but maybe not!

[sweets]

Like i said earlier, this is exactly what i do, except i have a driveway. After reading all these replies i am now wondering if there is possibly another way of doing things? I thought i was doing it in the safest and most practical way but maybe not!

it would probably be safer to get the double buggy out of the car, put both babies in, hang the bags on and walk them the 10ft or so to the front door. but then id have to think about what do i do with the buggy? lol. do i take it back to the car whilst leaving the babies in the house as my buggy doesnt fit inside or do i leave it on the street to get stolen! lol

every situation is different and has to be risk assesed (not neccessarily written down as we have far to many of those stupid things to write as it is).

we could look at dangers in everything and never do anything, people die in car crashes every day but does it stop us using our cars? no. people die crossing the road every day but we still do it.

everybodies situation is different and we just have to choose the sensible options for ourselves.

[chez]

No, what would happen if they accidently locked them self out of the car? I asume they do lock the doors of the car when they leave their mindees in it.
AA etc could take a good while to get there and in that time baby is left sitting in a hot car without the comfort of an adult.
Id be highly concerned about any childminder leaving their mindee in a car.

[Pauline]

Not sure why I'm being picked up on for daring to ask, if you'd read the OP correctly you'd see it's not me doing it, I don;t drive for a start and live next door to the school for another! I've only been childminding for a month and while I was sure it wasn't right myself cos I'd certainly never do it I just wondered if perhaps other minders did do it. I am going to keep a note for the next week to see if it happens again and if so I will report the other minder to the cc.

I think it was an excellent question and started a great debate, albeit a bit heated at times.

Sometimes people read in a rush and get the wrong end of who is doing what with such a long thread, so please don't take any criticism to heart, I'm sure it wasn't intended to upset you.

[sweets]

oops sorry if it was me to be honest i didnt read all the replies just stuck my oar in! lol

[cher25]

I don't agree with leaving kids in the car. However 1 of my mindee's used to keep asking me if i am going to leave her and her brother in the car, as her old childminder used to! She was honest and said it scared her.