[JeanLynn81]

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/mom-fac...12090409990001

So after reading that article, I ask, who was wrong? The mom for leaving her child in the car, or the cop for going overboard?

I have to say, its not fair for the cops to make exceptions. We complain all the time about, how come this person got a off, but this person is serving time? Where do they draw the line?

Good parent or not, I bet its the last time she ever does this. Its too dangerous to leave any child in a car unattended for any amount of time. In the amount of time it took her to put the change in the kettle, someone could have busted her car window and took off with the child. Now while its not highly likely that would happen, the chance was still there. Not a risk I'd be willing to take. I won't even leave my daughter in the car while I return a shopping cart!

What do you all think?

[Alejandros Mommy]

I do this....When Alejandro has Karate he goes inside to get his Gi on...Aiden and I are in the car waiting for him and sometimes he takes forever. I then turn the car off and lock it up and go and see what Alejandro is up to...my van is about 5 meters away from my front door. I understand the guards concern, esp since he really didn't know if the kid was left there for a long time....but I think it's a bit overboard to charge her...esp if she was within sight of her van.

Though if she had to inside the store then its a bit different.

[mcmama]

I think this is ridiculous. Having lived in Chicagoland, I fully understand why she did not want to take the sleeping child out of the car, especially since she was in the parking lot and the car was in view.
Arresting her, handcuffing her, etc put those children more at risk and did them more damage than leaving the child in the car in the parking lot in full view in bad weather.

[DivasMomma]

I agree....I hate leaving the girls in the car, but we live on the second floor of a duplex, and sometimes my oldest forgets her juice cup or something. Instead of pulling them BOTH out ofthe car and carrying them all the way back upstairs, I just lock them in, and run as fast as I can to get whatever I need....takes much less time this way.

One time I pulled up front of a Dunkin Donuts that didnt have a drive thru. DD wanted munchins so I locked them in right out front and ran in, ordered, swiped my card and was out. Prob less then 30 secs...I got a VERY dirty look from a passerby.

The only time i would NEVER leave them alone in a car is if I have to be more then a few feet from the car, or if its really hot/cold outside....i hate being in the car with the air on in the heat so i wouldnt leave them locked up in it!

[Momof2kids]

I agree that I have never left my kids out of my sight. I, too, live in Chicago and the weather is bad, so sometimes if I have to run into the gas station, I take the keys, lock the doors and they are always in my sight. If I can't see them I don't go. Mailing letters, getting mail from the mailbox...I think this cop acted too fast and it was more damaging to the other kids...not necessary.

[mollymae]

We could all life our lives of what if's but we'd never do anything. We'd not leave the house for fear of something happening and not stay home for fear of someone breaking in and murdering us. I wouldn't leave a sleeping child to go into a shop but we leave them to jump out to post the mail etc. If we return from shopping and they are asleep we leave them in the car sleeping on our driveway (which is to the side of our house) and check on them every few minutes. I think that parents weigh up the pro's and cons of every situation they put there child into. i think that cop was way way over the top does he really think that what he did was in the childs best interest?

[twinzplus3]

Gosh. . .I suppose we could get arrested every time we go grocery shopping. We come home. . .double park and while the twins are sleeping dh and the 3 older kids unload groceries into the building. Dh never leaves the side walk. . .the van is at most 10 feet away. But it makes so much more sense to me to leave them strapped in, then to wake them up, and then go unload groceries while they're awake in the house. Cop was way, way over the top. I hope the judge has an inklng of common sense.

[mama2riley]

Wow I would have to say the cop was a little over the top in this case. Maybe had good intentions and its true that there are people out there who would actually leave their child in the car and go shopping for 20 minutes, but this woman was in plain sight of the vehicle, not more than a few yards away, and was even teaching her other children about giving to others who are less fortunate. I don't think she was a bad mom for doing that. And I agree about the "what ifs" - we'd stay locked up in our houses then - I think we make individual choices in each situation about what is best for our kids and she did what she thought was best at the time.

[Jaycobsmom620]

I leave the girls in the car at the gas station while paying for gas but I always park at the closest possible pump so I can see them the entire time and Im still a nervous wreck while in the store. I look back and forth constantly making sure no person or thing comes near the car. Sometimes I am afraid the store clerk may see me looking nervous and think Im trying to steal something. lol

[JeanLynn81]

Hmmm...guess I have a different opinion than, well...everyone! Ok, but its fair to say that y'all probably don't have a scary ex that can pop out anytime either.