Leaving your children in a car?

[desmeran]

in many places it is illegal. with a 5-year-old i would also consider it unsafe. if the kid is not an age where they can safely navigate traffic if they step out of the car, they should not be left alone in the car near traffic.

with an older child, i don't consider it unsafe, and think hysteria about leaving a 9- or 10- or 11-year-old for three minutes in a car is part of our current national collective overprotectiveness. .... that said, it's not a point i'm particularly interested in getting ticketed over, so i haven't left even my older kids alone in the car.