At what age can kids stay in the car alone while running an errand?

[TaraPA]

haha...I didn't know Center Valley had their own P.O.!!

LOL it's the best - I don't think ANYONE knows it's there - it's always empty! It's right off of 378 at Preston Lane - where Copperhead Grill is. You'd pass it if you were headed to DeSales.

 

[ashley0139]

I would have said, "And when you call the cops, what exactly do you plan on telling them? That a 14 year old who will be driving in a year was sitting by himself in the car? I'm sure they'll run to the rescue!"

 

[shirleyb]

Unless he's really small for his age, I can't imagine what she was thinking. Even if you took a long time in there, he's old enough to get out and enter the post office if he's too hot.

 

[aprilgail2]

From what Im finding online its illegal under the age of 6. I know back in 2001 there was a rumor about it being until the age of 18.

LOL--they would be old enough to drive but not be left sitting in a car alone????
Some ages people give are nuts- people not letting their kids go to the corner store alone at 11 or a boy to the mens room at 10--my daughter (and other kids her age) is babysitting other peoples kids at 11!

 

[TaraPA]

Unless he's really small for his age, I can't imagine what she was thinking. Even if you took a long time in there, he's old enough to get out and enter the post office if he's too hot.

LOL -he's a teenager - he'd proabbly endure a heat stroke in the car just to NOT be seen anywhere with his mom!!

He's short for his age - but he's bigger than I am & was sitting down so no idea what she was thinking. She was my age too (40-ish) - I could see it more if it was a young person or older person who wasn't familiar with what a 14-year old would look like, versus a 6-year old!

 

[marcyinPA]

LOL it's the best - I don't think ANYONE knows it's there - it's always empty! It's right off of 378 at Preston Lane - where Copperhead Grill is. You'd pass it if you were headed to DeSales.

Well, I do know where the Copperhead is! I usually go to either the main P.O. (after work...hate that place!) or the West Side P.O. (over by Marshall's in the Lehigh Shopping Center).

 

[Sydnie]

Oh gosh-14? That lady is crazy, I think my parents started leaving me in the car when I was 6 or 7. You didn't do anything wrong

 

[LBIJim]

good grief! 14 is plenty old to be by himself ... in a car or at home. In our area 12 year olds babysit!

Reminds me of a story I heard about a neighbor years ago. The neighbor insisted that she needed a babysitter for her 14 year old son. She asked around, got the name of a sitter from someone, and called and hired her. The sitter turned out to be 13 years old.

Any non-special needs 14 year old is old enough to stay home by him/herself for an evening, and certainly old enough to stay in the car for several minutes while mom runs an errand. Depending on the maturity level of the child, 10 seems to be old enough to left alone for a very brief period.

Jim

 

[Bob NC]

I would have stopped, looked deeply into her eyes, cocked my head a little and said, "Are you okay?"

 

[castmember19]

I would've gone ahead with "If he can drive, he can stay alone in the car." I mean, technically 14 year olds can drive with a permit... in some states...

 

[YodaGirl]

In the previous thread, I was very adamant the children should not be left in the car by themselves. In fact, that is still a position that I maintain.

HOWEVER

I don't believe that a 14 yr old teenager should be under the same rules of a 9 or 10 year old. He is plenty old enough to be left by himself - especially for a couple of minutes.

That said, if I was gonna be in a store for 20 or 30 minutes, I'd probably insist that he come in just because of how hot it is.

 

[college_student]

I just got back from a quick trip to the post office. DS14 didn't want to go in & I felt very comfortable leaving him alone in the car while I ran in to mail 1 package. The keys were with me, the windows were open, and he had his cell.

When I went in the PO there was no one else in the parking lot. When I came out, there was a car parked aside of me (on my side, the drivers side) with the window down. There was a woman in the passengers seat & when I got in my car she said to me "You shouldn't be leaving him alone in the car like that. I could call the cops on you." I was so stunned I didn't know what to say - so I said "thanks for your concern but I think my teenager can stay in the car while I run a 2-minute errand" and left!

Ok so now I'm thinking - is there an actual law on the age limit a child can be alone in a non-running car without an adult? He's going to be 15 for crying out loud - and he'll be DRIVING the car alone in another year or so! Now I wish I would have told that to the other woman, but I was taken by surprise & didn't really have a response. Or maybe I should be looking up the PA law, maybe she was right...????

By 14, I was staying at HOME alone...let alone a car.

That woman should just mind her own business. He can almost drive for goodness sakes! Yeekers!

 

[minkydog]

Oh, for heaven's sakes! Of course a 14yo can sit in the car. Can you just see the cop who comes out to investigate the "child" left in your hot, hot car? The reason it's illegal to leave young children in a car is because they are not able to remove themselves. I would expect any child over the age of 10 to recognize when the car is getting hot and OPEN THE DOOR. Heck, they could even *gasp* dial you on their cell phone to complain about it.

 

[joviroxx]

14? 14 is a teenager.. plenty old and then some!

 

[MamaJessie]

In CT it is 12. I know this because a man was just arrested a few towns away for leaving his 2 yo and 11 yo in the car.

 

[Mama Who]

Old enough to get out of the car if it becomes hot or dangerous in some way and stand on the sidewalk or enter a store and be safe doing so alone. If your 14 year old was incapable of these things you'd have bigger problems.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I started leaving my daughter in the car (if she wanted) and home alone for short time periods when she turned 10.

She is old enough to open the door and get out of the car safely if it gets too hot. If someone told me they were going to call the cops on me because of it I probably would have cracked up laughing

 

[Erin1700]

Ooooo! I obviously have a bad memory. I had no idea we were neighbors.

Count me in too, neighbors!

I say as long as it wasn't the post office on Hamilton St, he was fine to be left in the car.

 

[Poohforyou]

OP, next thing you're going to tell us is that you let your DS go play outside by himself . Why don't you post your number so one of us can call child services and rescue your child



I think as long as a kid is old enough to get out of the car and safely into the store or wherever by himself, if necessary, than they can be left alone. For me my DD was about 10. She's 11 now and is a mother's helper for a few families in our neighborhood and will likely be baby sitting in the next year or so.

 

[Pikester]

I just got back from a quick trip to the post office. DS14 didn't want to go in & I felt very comfortable leaving him alone in the car while I ran in to mail 1 package. The keys were with me, the windows were open, and he had his cell.

When I went in the PO there was no one else in the parking lot. When I came out, there was a car parked aside of me (on my side, the drivers side) with the window down. There was a woman in the passengers seat & when I got in my car she said to me "You shouldn't be leaving him alone in the car like that. I could call the cops on you." I was so stunned I didn't know what to say - so I said "thanks for your concern but I think my teenager can stay in the car while I run a 2-minute errand" and left!

Ok so now I'm thinking - is there an actual law on the age limit a child can be alone in a non-running car without an adult? He's going to be 15 for crying out loud - and he'll be DRIVING the car alone in another year or so! Now I wish I would have told that to the other woman, but I was taken by surprise & didn't really have a response. Or maybe I should be looking up the PA law, maybe she was right...????

My husband said he would have handed her a phone.