so tell me what u do....

[Sunny Love]

I leave DD in her carseat with her drink and the window down, the most ive ever had to wait in line to pay was 3 minutes probably. I can't help but watch her while im inside, and I always lock my car before leaving her.

[crumpet]

I also would leave the windows up due to fumes, etc.

i didnt even consider the fume side of things

thank you all for you replies, i guess its just another one of those personal choice things i think i feel guilty about leaving her there, BUT then i feel guilty about pulling her in and out of the car too cant bl00dy win!

[toomanyshoes]

i didnt even consider the fume side of things

thank you all for you replies, i guess its just another one of those personal choice things i think i feel guilty about leaving her there, BUT then i feel guilty about pulling her in and out of the car too cant bl00dy win!

Nope, but whatever you choose it will be right for your family don't beat yourself up over it, play it by ear when the time comes.

[~Hestia~]

I rarely have to put fuel in the car but the times I have, I've left Moo in the car. Windows up, doors locked, undercover. This is probably the only place I would leave him in the car, we're right by the door & I can see him through the windows. That being said, I wouldn't do it on particular days such as really hot ones.

[skybie]

i leave mine in the car

[crumpet]

Nope, but whatever you choose it will be right for your family don't beat yourself up over it, play it by ear when the time comes.

thanks hun

again thank you everyone for your replies, im feeling more confident that its ok if im just running in quickly, and being in melb its not hot now so that makes things easier, i really appreciate ur replies

[Asparagus and Lemons]

I usually have someone with me (mum or dh) and they sit in the car.. otherwise I will just lock the doors and be in and out really quick!

[~me~]

I usually leave mine in the car with some music on them for them.

[ShootingStar]

I leave mine in the car.. though i always use our local servo which is a really small one, car and fuel pumps are right at the door, counter is just inside the door too.

[<3 Mumofthreetobe <3]

I take her with me 99.99% of the time. There have been only a 3 occasions I have left her in the car, when she's been asleep, but I feel sick to the stomach leaving her there.

[Gigi]

when i had a 13 week old bilby, i was not driving (was still getting after post labour complications that took a long time to heal), so i didn't have this issue.

i was driving when she was five months old, and i made the decision to take her INSIDE the petrol station with me, every time i filled up. i made my decision to do this, whether it woke her up or not. This felt right for me, as i worried about
- baby overheating (this can happen in a car, even when temps in low 20's - due to car being made of high conducive metal and glass)
- baby waking and being frightened they can't see you
- me getting delayed in the petrol station (something i couldn't guarantee)
- random person stealing and hotwiring my car with my child in the back
We had already had so many things go wrong (conceiving taking so many years, delivery going wrong, difficult early bonding), so i was probably over protective, but it felt right to me. I knew if i did anything else, my anxiety levels would skyrocket.

i wanted to minimise any risks, so i always took and still do (she is four) take her into the service station with me. i park as close to the servo as i can. When she was "a runner", i put the koala backpack/child restraint on her, to walk her to the servo. A few extra seconds, but her safety is everything to me.

i fully accept, our situation and my personal medical history, has prolly turned me into an over protective mum. it's what i need to do. I don't expect others to do what i do.

i started off doing this in a nuclear family, now i'm a single mum doing it. I used to aim to "fill up" when i could leave bilby with her dad, and i go off to do some errands on my own. These days, i try to "fill up" when she's at kindy. Doesn't always work out, but it's my aim, much easier to do it on my own.

I'm only dealing with one child too, i'm sure i would do things differently if i had multiple children to get in and out of the car.

[Phteven]

I leave them in the car.
I used to use the pay at the pump but for some reason they seem to be phasing that out.

[LimeSlice]

I leave them in the car.
I used to use the pay at the pump but for some reason they seem to be phasing that out.

Because then you don't go in and spend more money

I leave them in the car.

[Doing my best]

On the rare occasion that I have to fill up when on my own with the kids, I take them with me.. It would take me longer to calm them down when I got back from 'leaving' them than it would to get them out and in.. But if someone is behind me, I do move away from the pump.

[Fleur]

If I have the older kids with me I get one of them to go in & pay. If it's just me & Pie, I leave her in the car.

[mummy of 3 boys]

i leave mine in the car too with windows up and doors locked

If its hot i generally will leave the windows cracked and park undercover (which najority servos have anyway) but im also lucky i fill up locally and we are only a small town so not OVERLY worried about someone stealing them or the car but i always lock the doors 'just in case' as you can never be 100% positive

with DS1 i would always do the same thing as we lived in a bigger town for his first 5 months

[TaRhLi.]

I leave DD in the car with the window open - not all the way down - car locked and I always will use a pump under cover so she is not is the sun. I always try and find a petrol station that is not busy so 99% of the time it is just me in the store to pay for the petrol, then I would only be away from the car for a limited amount of time.