the grocery cart question is an excellent example of the dilemma that women face. Let's say you go fill up on gas, pay at the pump. Baby sleeping in the car. Well, my luck is always that the stupid pump gives me an error when I need a receipt - have to go inside to fetch the receipt. So, are you supposed to get the kid out of the carseat, wake him up, go in and get the receipt? Of course not. Most women would lock the door & get the stupid receipt. It's not the same as going into the mall for an hour or stuff like that.

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Based upon what was reported, I don't think that the mother was negligent.

I think it's awful for all involved. I do not think she should have been arrested; I don't think she is a bad parent.

But I don't think it was right. I Believe here in Ohio it is illegal to leave Anyone regardless of age alone in a car sleeping. Yes I have been in both the grocery shopping cart dilemma and the gas station dilemma. Yes I woke my baby up to go in with me to pay. Yes I left the shopping cart out of the way but didn't take it back to the corral. I still do often, and ds is 6. If it is not right next to the car, that cart is not going back to the corral.

I'm not saying I'm a better mother than that mom. But ME leaving my sleeping/nonsleeping child anywhere, in a car - without me - makes me uneasy. I'd never do it. Yes, it's a pain sometimes. But that's the way it goes - at least for me.

Playing devil's advocate here: Where do you draw the line for acceptable length of time to leave a child in the car? Is there a certain distance that is acceptable to be away from the car with a child left in it?
Yes I have left my kids in the locked car in the driveway while I ran groceries inside. So I don't think she is a bad mother or deserves to be arrested, but I think she was in the wrong. Simply don't stop if you have to leave your child sleeping in the car. How long do you think it takes for a person to break a window, jump in the car, and drive off with a child in the back seat when a parent leaves the car running? 10-20 seconds and your kids is gone.

This is true for me too and my kids are 10 and 13! LOL! I didn't leave them in the car when they were small, and I don't leave them in the car now that they're older. Period. I am just not comfortable with it.

No I don't think she did anything wrong.

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Forget the Joneses Blog

So you're one of those people that leave the carts out? I hate that!!! Next thing you know the cart is smacked into the side of my vehicle. Off subject I know

The lady was fine... give me a break!!!!!!

Me too ~ and apparently serving a life sentence

Our town is so small (300 people), 1/2 the parents leave their children in strollers talking to one another outside the post office as they check their box. Our whole town should be in jail. Now, if the car had been running and unlocked, that would be different.

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From what was reported, I don't think she did anything wrong. I'm paranoid about leaving my kids in the car but there are times, like the cart and receipt scenarios, where I've done it. My eyes were on the car the whole time, it was locked, alarm on. Does it mean I'm a bad mom? I don't think so.

And if the cart corral isn't right next to your car, take your child with you to take it back! It's a pain as well but I do it when it's too far from my car for me to be comfortable leaving my kids alone. And I have four! I'd rather do that than have someone's car get bashed because it was left out - no matter how "safely" you think you left it.

That is just crazy. Now if the car was not locked and within her sight I would have a problem....but she was outside and did not go into the store or leave the child in the car for a long period of time. She parked right by the store not far away in the parking lot.

This sounds about as crazy as the mom who almost lost her teen daughter and ended up with a criminal record for smacking her daughter on the face.

I hate to say this but I swear if a woman or man is middle class or higher and white society expects them to be perfect and never lay a hand on or make a mistake (aka be like the perfect white tv family) But if they are poor or live in the inner city or country they can get away with a lot.

I would never leave my kids in a car and run into a store or a gas station or to grab a pizza...but I have left my kids in the car in the driveway for a moment so I can unlock the front door. Also during the cold of winter I would leave my baby in a locked car and just cross the street to the other side and yell for my oldest dd to come meet me on the sidewalk.