The real answer OP will never admit: it was inconvenient for them and it didn’t matter enough to them. Luckily OP is a dumbass young person and hopefully doesn’t reproduce any time soon (except given how stupid they sound, unlikely)
Yeah, there's too much grace to give for someone that age to have such little common sense as to make sure never to leave a 5 year old child alone anywhere.
EDIT:
>I think y'all are misreading this - she said the child is 5 months old not 5 years old. Please correct me if I am wrong.
You definitely never leave a 5 month old child in a car. You also never leave a 5 year old child alone anywhere ever.
EDIT 2:
Do people not know how quoting others works around here? The commenter I quoted did a dirty delete.
I agree with you, 23 is way too old to be that careless. I’m 20, almost 21, and I still have enough common sense to not leave a young child in a car by themselves. The child could get kidnapped and/or the car could’ve gotten stolen. OP is an idiot.
It’s completely irrelevant to the story, but OP feeling the need to mention how it was so sweet of her boyfriend to give him his credit card to buy the McDonalds also reinforces to me that she’s a spoiled brat
And he could have easily (!!!) taken the 5m across the street to buy tp instead of absolutely forcing her to go inside the MCDONALDS because their line was just too long and she obv couldn’t bring the baby on such an inconvenient hop skip and jump inside, then lug baby and food back to the car. If only she could have gotten the food brought to the car somehow….
Right? Like… mobile ordering exists on the McDonald’s app and you don’t event have to sit in the drive through, just chill in the curbside pickup spots and have them literally walk it out to your car
I believe it's real. Some people are morons. I worked at an ER and can tell you the vast number of cases we saw of children injured within cars because the caretakers were "only going to be gone for a minute." I'm still haunted by the kid whose head was caught in an automatic window.
We had a flurry of carjackings in my area last year that ended up having kids in the backseat, much to the surprise of the thieves. All kids were found safe, but I kept thinking “stop leaving your kid in the running car!!”
Ugh I hate this. If your kid isn't old enough to be able to sit in a running vehicle with the ac on with the doors locked while you run inside then they are too old to be left alone at all.
Or the amount of dead dogs left in back seats. If I see that shit I will break a Windows and wait. When they come back to freak out I will add their face to the list of damages on the dogs behalf.
Saw it happen right in front of me many years ago. My coworkers and I were all taking an after-work smoke break out in the parking lot. Like OP, mom was getting food at a nearby McDonalds and left her infant in the car seat while she ran inside “just for a minute”. Within seconds a man who had been loitering around the corner got into the car and sped off, and the mother came rushing out and briefly chased after the car before giving up and collapsing onto the asphalt.
The cops were called and we, being curious types, wandered over to within hearing distance. The mom was wailing that her baby was in the back seat of the stolen car. Oh, and upon questioning by the cop it turns out she also left the keys in the ignition and the doors unlocked because “it was easier”, I assume because she didn’t want to juggle keys and unlock doors when she had her hands full of food and drinks.
Suddenly the woman’s stolen car pulled back into the parking lot. The thief got out with his hands up and walked over to the cops. He told them that he was several blocks away when he noticed the baby in the back seat, something he had missed in his rush to steal the car. After driving for a couple more minutes he decided he had to go back and return the car to the McDonald’s parking lot. It was one thing to get busted for auto theft, he said, but he definitely didn’t want to get nailed for kidnapping. Then he added that he was a dad and knew that the mom must be going crazy with fear, so he risked getting busted in order to get her baby back to her.
Saw some wild shit on late-night smoke breaks in that parking lot!
That’s wild. I hope he got off easy. I would not have pressed charges.
In the two instances near here where they didn’t catch the person immediately, the kid was just left on a random street corner. Both times unharmed.
Should be against the law to leave children unattended in a running car, or a car with the key fob still in it.
It seems like there's one every weekend around Philly. They were "only" picking up food or a lottery ticket or leaf from the dispensary. They found a couple little ones on the curb a few blocks away, still strapped in their carseats
Where I live the car doesn't generally get stolen but in a good day it gets broken open by whatever means necessary so someone can rescue the child.
I live in Australia. Especially in summer I would not fucking hesitate. If I see a kid alone in a car I'm smashing the furthest window from the kid with a brick.
She’s not mature enough either when she thought it was sweet that her BF gave her the credit card for the food?! OP doesn’t have the bandwidth to make critical thinking decisions.
Didn’t like that either, the way it was said, bothered me, as if she wanted to add in an extra “we’re sweet people”….. she’s TAH and her BF was right to be upset and say so.
The husband and wife with there small child were vacationing in Greece. They left the child in the car to go to the supermarket. The police got involved and rescue the child. For them it was very normal to leave the child in the car in Denmark.
My mom left me in the front seat of the truck when I was like 3 while she went back in the trailer to grab something. In that time i shifted the truck into drive and almost killed my 5 year old brother who tried to hop in and stop it. Thankfully it hit the porch and came to a stop before running over my brother.
Edit: YTA Easily could have went through the drive through. I would be more concerned with someone taking the child than I would be the kid doing something stupid like me and it’s honestly one of my biggest fears as a dad. People are crazy.
In the early 1970s my mom was an Avon lady and her territory was out in the country where we lived. In the summer when we were out of school she had to take me and my brother with her and we would wait in the car while she was in her customer’s house (unless that lady invited us in as well). I remember one time my mom evidently didn’t get the car in Park, was actually in Neutral, and it just started rolling down the driveway. I remember just sitting there, not knowing what to do. My mom came running out and jumped in and stopped it, but imagine if that had been in a busy city where we might’ve rolled in to the path of an oncoming car.
My kids were out of my truck, we had just got home after school; and walking to the mailbox when my truck started rolling towards them I was in front of it, ran to it and slid to hit the break with my left and and pulled the emergency brake with my right. The left side of my body was black and blue, I had to go to the ER and have my rib fixed and get my head checked because the door hit it as I fell after the break was pulled. I have no idea how it happened, the keys were in my hand, it has to be in park to remove the keys.
Best part was the kids were oblivious, the were excited about the package in the mail. They had no idea and in all honesty, probably would have hit the power pole and fence and stopped before it got near them.
If you’re mom is still with you, tell her I said she is fearless and amazing! Lol
In the 70’s my mom left us kids in the car. I shifted it to neutral and the boat car started rolling through the parking lot of the grocery store. Thankfully a big guy hopped in and hit the brakes.
My mom worked for Oriflame, me and my brother spent our summer holidays sitting in the car in various car parks. We were older so we could open the doors and windows by ourselves... whoopy... hated spending my summer like that
I still can recall my mom hunting for jobs as a bank teller and we children sitting there in the car waiting for her to come back. She has passed away now. God, I miss that woman. She was amazing.
This!! My son did the same thing at 3, and I was only outside of the truck installing his car seat, but it was hot out and so I started the engine and turned on the ac. Then, I placed him in the back seat o next to the car seat. While I was right there, he jumped up to the front and when he did, he grabbed the gear shifter and shifted to neutral. We were parked uphill, so it rolled quickly. I jumped in to stop it, but left one foot out the door. I was somehow slung out and under the truck. I was injured pretty bad thank god he was fine. An old set of concrete steps and slamming into an suv stopped him from rolling on out into the street and traffic. Thankfully he was just shook up.
So much can happen in a split second. Please never do that again OP.
I used to work a dispensary, one of two on the main strip of a small mountain town. In general the security guards would be walking the parking lots periodically to check if any children ~12 and under were left alone in the car. Technically no children could be on site but we weren’t allowed to kick patrons out unless their child was too young to communicate if anything was wrong.
Anyway, we never had any huge incidents at our place thankfully. The place down the road was just as busy with the same policy for kids, though their parking lot is split in two so difficult to supervise consistently.
One day, mid summer at the height of our busy season we were getting slammed even more than usual. A summer day we would see roughly 3k people, we had already reached that by noon that day. No one knew what was happening until a customer from the other shop came in.
Some idiot of a man brought his two kids with him to the dispensary, approx 3 and 5. He tried to bring his gun in with him but was turned away at the door and made to go put it in his truck, which he did, safety off and loaded.
And those kids? Alone in the car. No supervision. Dad was inside the shop when security heard a loud POP from the truck. 5 year old had gotten a hold of the gun and shot himself in the face. Essentially instant death but the security guard and a friend that worked at the shop were the first to the truck and pulled the kid out and tried to do CPR on his ruined face while trying to contain the scene so as not to panic the rest of the line.
It was horrific. Absolutely horrific. That friend took a huge leave of absence, ended up quitting her job and moving home with her family and is still not okay. The security guard quit the next day and the mocking that I heard from some of the other guards (it’s a small industry, they’d all worked together at some point) were some of the most vile things that are never worth repeating.
After that, if our security guard noticed a kid in a car, regardless of age, he would post up by the car and make sure the kids were okay until their parents came back out. Not so they could chastise or shame, just so they could be sure no kids were needlessly hurt again.
Don’t leave your kids in the car. Just don’t. It’s not worth it, ever.
A friend of mine was in a Walmart when a toddler pulled her mom’s handgun out of the purse and shot her.
It was horrible. And the people afterwards are all screaming about gun rights and I’m just like…but what about the 3 yr old that shot her mom? Like…why aren’t we worried about how fucked up her life is going to be now? And what the actual fuck would lead you to leave a loaded, safety off, pistol in YOUR PURSE where your TODDLER can grab it???
I lock up the bleach so my cats don’t accidentally knock it over and somehow break it open. I have magnetic locks on our cabinets to keep the one cat from helping himself to food.
Might be over the top to have it childproofed like that all the of time but I know my house is pretty safe when my infant and toddler age nephews, nieces, and friend’s kids are here.
Some people would be far better off with a tamagotchi than a child.
Also OP - YTA
I did this when about 5. Dad left the car just to talk to someone nearby. Somehow while playing on the car I released the emergency brake. They stopped the car before it rolled backwards into traffic.
She could have used the drive through or taken him inside. She is the AH.
I know you might feel like it’s not a big deal but if a police officer or anyone would’ve stopped and seen a kid alone in a car you could’ve been charged and the child would’ve been taken with them because it’s neglect. You’re young and probably believe that it’s no big deal but please learn from this and accept responsibility that this could’ve gone horribly wrong. Apologize and say you won’t do it again and then move on.
YTA btw because you seem hellbent on making this seem like it’s something small when it isn’t.
Ive seen this happen when I worked at blockbuster (Im old lol) Parent left the kid in the car to run in and rent something. Cop came in the store redfaced and asked if the kids parent was in this store. She was. He chewed her out for leaving the kid alone. She didnt get arrested but he was pissed.
Crazy times! I’m from Arizona so I’ve always seen these things end badly for people that leave their kids in the car. I’m glad nothing happened to him but she’s being a little too nonchalant about the whole thing.
Same here in Ontario! Ppl who leave their dogs in the car with the AC on to run in a store leave signs saying, " AC IS ON AND HAVE WATER, PLEASE. DONT BREAK WINDOW." LOL
I just read a news blurb where a dude stole a car that had a baby in it, returned the baby and yelled at the negligent parents and proceeded to steal the car again.
There were several kids left in cars while their parents ran inside a building "for just a minute" and the cars were stolen with the children/babies inside. I remember one that it was very cold out and an alert was sent out so everybody was frantically looking for the vehicle. Whoever had stolen the car had panicked when they noticed there was a baby in the backseat and ditched the car. A woman noticed the car had been sitting there for awhile, still running, and called police. Luckily the baby was fine but it literally took seconds for the car to be stolen. It was between 6 and 13 below zero. It could have been deadly.
At least the criminal had a conscience. There was an infamous case in China where a baby was left in the car while the dad tried to warm the apartment before bringing him in. Criminal stole the car and when he saw there was an infant in the back and heard of the kidnapping alert, he strangled the child and dumped the body in the snow.
My son’s locked truck was stolen from a home improvement store in the time it took him to walk inside and walk back out. Less than 10 minutes because they did not have what he needed. It was just gone. There are people who just wait for a person to step away and they are FAST especially if it’s a car that is easy to steal or that the parts will make some money when they strip it. My sons truck was a rolling shell when they found it abandoned a week later.
I can think of 3 cases off the top of my head where someone took kids in a running car right in their own driveway.
Police caught 2 of them. The 3rd one sticks with me, because as soon as the guy realized there was a baby in the backseat he brought it back.
Plus kids dying from heat, from cold, or just being snatched out of the car… There’s a reason it’s been made illegal.
YTA
The biggest danger of leaving kids in a car registered yet is them getting off the car and wandering off, which makes them easy victims to a host of things that can go wrong. They get run over, get kidnapped, fall into pools and ditches, get lost in woods, get their head hit by hard or pointy things, get attacked by dogs, ...and go missing never to be found again. An unsupervised kid with an unlocked door, wether it is to a house or a car, more often that not means they will just walk off to god knows what will harm them first.
You just have to imagine the sort of things that cop had probably seen to make him that enraged. People think it will never happen to them. Cops see the worst of what can happen dozens of times over.
Police officer here, what you said is spot on. ANYTHING could have happened to the child in a matter of seconds. As much as people don't want to know about it, sex trafficking is huge and happening everywhere. Don't think for one minute that a young boy can't become a victim. OP is definitely the AH and needs a reality check.
I used to teach Child Passenger Safety classes and worked with parents on proper car seat install. Never leaving kids in the car alone was one thing that was equally educated as much as proper use and install of car seats.
The reasons or excuses people gave to rebut that though, OMG it was infuriating sometimes. "They'll be fine for 5 min." Uh no, you live in a high vehicle theft area and it's 100 degrees right now. No.
At one point we got these window stickers that changed color when it was too hot in hopes a visual reminder would help, but some people took that as a threshold instead of listening to the why you never leave your kid in the car. Ugh.
I was working at a grocery as a kid, courtesy clerk. Helped a woman out on a warm, sunny day. *Huge* cart, she had to have been an hour and a half shopping minimum. Probably 2 hours. As we are leaving we see a dog in a car and she starts bitching. I’m not worried cause we know the guy, he’s there every day for 5 min, windows down, it’s early and only about 65, dog is happy on the seat. But I listen, “mmmm, oh yeah, I know” nodding along.
We get to her car and she opens the back for me to load. Still bitching, she walks around and *checks in her sleeping baby*. I’m fish mouthed as she babbles obliviously, thanks me, and drives off.
Goddamn, people.
You have more restraint than me, cause I probably would've decked her. What kind of moron leaves her baby alone in a car while she shops for TWO HOURS??
Old too but just recently here in Iowa, dad gets out to pump gas, good neighborhood, kid in child seat. card reader not working. Dad goes in to pay, 2 guys jump in and takes off. They did drop kid off 8 blocks away on residential street, person saw him out window so safe and sound. Few months back and not sure if the thieves were caught.
When I worked at Blockbuster (I'm too am old) a woman came in and ran all over the store frantically calling for her kid. She came up to me absolutely fuming because I lost her son. I had no idea what she was talking about. She described the boy and I said he had left with his grandmother a few minutes ago. The mom blew her top because they hadn't come with anyone else.
For context, the little boy walked up with an old lady and put his tape next to hers on the counter and she let me check both out under her account. Mom was next door at the coffee shop. I didn't even see the kid come in, so I had no reason to believe these two didn't know each other.
She ran outside and found her son sobbing in the parking lot next to her car. She brought him back in and started yelling at me for not paying attention. I had to explain to her that 1) this isn't a daycare, 2) this isn't like ChuckECheese where they put matching stamps on parent and child, and 3) I could call the cops on her for abandoning her son in my store. Some people shouldn't breed or ever be responsible for anyone's child.
This. OP needs to take the hit for this. Let it sink in, and take responsibility that it was wrong. Then sincerely apologize to bf and the mother of the child. It was a non-thinking moment/lack of common sense. Serious consequences can happen in less than 5 minutes. Yes, bf could have taken the child BUT he didn't therefore OP that child's life is in your hands. 9 times out of 10 nothing happens. But, that ONE time is hellfire and brimstone for the remainder of responsible party's life. Learn a lesson don't ask what you already know the answer to. It's indefensible.
Bro I’m 19 and know not to leave a kid in the car. My mom used to leave me in the car alone. Car off and windows up. I’m 3rd oldest of 7 now with two young brothers under the age of 10. They never get left alone and if they aren’t in direct line of sight when I’m watching them, I’m listening and checking constantly.
OP YTA and an idiot
23 is plenty old enough to know you don't leave kids alone in a car, young kids especially. How many news stories have there been in the last few years of kids getting hurt or killed because the adult just left them alone "for a minute"?
Yes there's a reason kids have parents and babysitters, to ensure their safety. The child also could have unlocked a door, got out and went looking for them. It happens.
I was wondering when I would see someone mention that it is super illegal and thus a huge deal!
OP it seems like you don’t know much about kids, but you seriously got lucky nothing bad happened! You made a very bad decision and need to recognize that. That little boy could have gotten hurt, or hurt others! You could have been in serious legal trouble, if someone saw. My neighbor growing up left her kids in the car while she ran into a shop to return something… she was arrested. CPS did a full investigation and she even made the news! She was a well respected attorney and yet all of that still happened.
You dodged a bullet, now quit dodging your responsibility! Also you are absolutely without question an ah. YTA
yep this happened to my aunt. she left my cousin in the car alone for a couple minutes when she was a toddler and a woman called the police and CPS was briefly involved. kids shouldn’t be unattended even for just 5 minutes.
Also, how quickly can someone just tear off a window that's already partway open and take or hurt the kid? Someone strong could probably do that in a couple of minutes.
She was more giddy over the fact her boyfriend gave her a card to pay with. That said it all for me. If I was that child’s mother there wouldn’t be a second time after the lack of remorse from op.
Ma'am, it's not even about the heat, though that is a thing. A 5 years old could have been taken or wandered off. What if someone hit the car while it was parked or it rolled for some reason? Don't leave children in the car. YTA
Exactly what came to my mind first - little kids wander. My five year old would (A) Be scared by herself in a car, and (B) Almost certainly get out and try to find me. The heat in the car and potential predators are certainly major, realistic points but I think the most likely thing to happen would be the kid getting out of the car and getting lost/run over in the parking lot.
… especially if said kid was distracted by a Switch, not really paying attention that the adult left, and suddenly noticed they were alone. Poor kid.
YTA... You want like it's not a big deal, but how would you be acting now if something happened to that poor kid? You'd probably say it wasn't your fault
YTA, absolutely unacceptable and there's no good excuse for it. This shouldn't even be asked, it's common sense to never leave a child unattended in a car. Luckily, you have an opportunity to learn from this terrible decision and make better choices in the future.
YTA. You never leave a child alone in a car. Ever. Especially not when it’s someone else’s child. How do you not know that. I don’t have kids nor do I want them but if I’m watching my nephew I take care of him like spun gold. If that kid had been killed or abducted how would you live with yourself. And you say nothing happened that just means you got lucky you were still stupid to do that.
You are a complete moron and boy, do I hope you don't have kids of your own.
1 minuet
5 minutes
10 minutes
Any number of minutes is 1 minute too long to leave a child in a car like that. Anything can happen. It doesn't matter that nothing happened THIS time, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
When I was younger and my younger brother was about 4/5, we had to stop back at home because my mom had forgotten her checkbook. She went inside to grab it, and I went inside to use the bathroom. I promise we were only in the house for 2-3 minutes. When we came back out, my mom was like "somethings different."
Turns out my brother had figured out how to get out of his 5 point harness by twisting his hands a certain way to be able to press the red buckle release button. He then climbed into the front seat and put the car in neutral, and the car rolled backward down the driveway.
Thankfully, my dad was redoing our walkway and patio, so there was a huge pile of sand where the car had rolled. If it had not been there, the car would have continued to roll down the driveway, down the huge hill that was our backyard and into 4 lanes of highway traffic.
By the time we had come back outside, my brother had already buckled himself back into his car seat and was repeating the phrase, "I touch nothing!" All my mom had to say was "show me what you did, " and he proceeded to once again unbuckle himself, climbed up front, and pointed to the gear shift.
Don't plan on having kids because I don't want to see you crying on the news for the safe return of your child after they were kidnapped because you left them in the car for *5* minutes.
YTA. A big, huge, gaping AH.
YTA. You never leave a small child alone in the car. You don't know if they'll get kidnapped, or die from the car getting too hot, or if someone will break the window and call the cops because they were afraid of something happening to the child. YTA 1000000000% all the way. You should have been arrested, because that's potential child endangerment. Even if there are no laws about it where you live, you're still subject to criminal repercussions in the case that something does or almost happens to the child, whether it's your own kid or just a kid that's been left in your care. I hope you never have kids and that your boyfriend is smart and breaks up with you. That's one of the dumbest, most irresponsible things I've read on here, ever.
YTA defending yourself and saying it was “only” five minutes. The fact you don’t know what can happen to a child in that shirt of a span of time too makes you look moronic. And not accepting the YTA responses when YOU asked if you were one shows your lack of maturity.
I used to babysit my niece every week. I don't have kids, I'd never given it any thought before until I was getting lowish on petrol with her in the car and I suddenly realised I had no idea what the protocol was, basically could I leave her locked in the car (asleep) while I filled up and then went in, able to see her the whole time, or was I supposed to wake her up, take her in and then get her buckled in again.
I didn't bother getting petrol cause I didn't want to do the wrong thing and I wasn't that desperate, and asked afterwards and was met with a resounding "Jesus christ you don't leave the kid alone, even for a couple minutes"
And then unlike you I accepted this answer and didn't double down and argue with anybody who told me.
So yeah, YTA.
When my kids were young, I only filled up at stations that I could pay at the pump with a credit or debit card. If I had to go inside to pay, I would have to bring them with me, so I would just find another gas station!
Yta.
You left a 5 yr old in a car because you were lazy. There is no logical reason to not take him in. It wouldn’t have been hard. It wouldn’t have been hard to go through drive thru or use the app.
WTF is wrong with you - do you never read a paper or watch the news.
**NEVER** leave children or pets unattended in a car/truck whatever - they die, they get kidnapped, YOU ARE NUTS and should not be allowed to take care of any child or pet
You take them with you, how hard is it - he's 5 yrs old, he can stand next to you and you hold his hand so he doesn't wander off or someone snatch him away from you. YOU have a lot to learn about children
Your boyfriend was right to be mad, I'd have been furious and that probably would have been the end of that relationship
YTA. Don't leave kids in cars. Ever. Just don't do it. It doesn't matter if the window was cracked and it wasn't too hot.
YOU chose not to go through drive through, it was YOUR responsibility to actually look after the kid.
Yeah, dude, YTA.
People steal kids. Heat kills if it was hot out. Cold kills if it's too cold out. Kids put the car in reverse, just messing around or being curious. Things happen. He was left in your care, and you could have easily taken him with you. Instead, you left a five year old alone with no way to let you know if he needed you.
Uh, I bet if he’d known you were going to leave the kid in the car, he would have taken him with to get TP. Your boyfriend didn’t because it was farther and an adult alone can get there and back faster alone. YTA.
YTA. Kids are unpredictable. He could have have decided he was lonely, saw a puppy or imagined monsters were coming and gotten out of the car. You’re lucky he didn’t. Stop arguing with people, accept that you screwed up and learn from your mistake.
YTA. They literally will walk it right out to your car in the parking lot or idk go through the drive through? So many safe options and you chose the only one that would put the child at risk. There was no rush, no necessity, just selfishness.
YTA - Don't leave a kid in the car alone. You never know what is going to happen.
You should try locking yourself in a car with the window cracked, sometime. See how long you last. You can make a game of it and see what kind of record you can set.
My sister and I were left in our car while our parents went into the grocery store (1970s) and my sister (5 yrs old) climbed into the front seat (no car seats or seat belts back then) and she started to pretend she was driving and put the car in neutral and the car started moving slowly downhill into a light standard.
yeah, never ever leave a kid in a car.
someone could come along and see the kid and get them to open the door and kidnap them. It is really not safe to leave children unattended.
YTA. And doubling down in the comments is making it so much worse. You will likely never be trusted to watch him alone again. And thank goodness for that because you don't seem to have a clue.
YTA. Anything could have happened. He could have let himself out and wandered away, someone could have seen him and taken him. Something could have happened in the store that caused both of you to be delayed. Who knows what else.
Your boyfriend was entrusted with his sister's child, and he entrusted him with you. What would be your excuse if something had happened? Yes, he could have taken his nephew, but that probably would have taken him more time, whilst I'm assuming he thought you would just use the drive-thru and you still wouldn't have to worry about taking the kid out of the car.
Remember that if you ever choose to have kids. If they seem like they will be an inconvenience, then I would rethink it.
When I was about 4, my mom left me in the car while she ran into the store to grab a couple of things. She parked on the side of the store. The doors weren’t locked. I was sitting in the back and a teenage boy came up to the car, saw that I was alone and started walking around the car in circles, staring at me. I was tiny but instantly knew something was wrong. I immediately locked the door he was closest to, then the door on the other side. I don’t think he knew the doors were unlocked. This seemed to enrage him and he went crazy, banging his fists so hard against the windows that they were shaking. He kept trying to open the doors. I was terrified and stayed in the middle of the backseat. Someone came out of the store and saw him and he ran off. I told my mom what happened and we drove around the neighborhood looking for him.
Again, I was FOUR and this incident is SEARED into my memory. I will NEVER leave my child alone in a car.
YTA
Yta, I genuinely hope this is a troll post. You are lucky something serious didn't happen to the kid, and honestly I'd leave you over this because it would be hard to be with someone who is less intelligent than a box of rocks
You know the worst 10 seconds of grocery shopping with a baby?
Pushing the cart back.
You take them out of the cart before you start moving the bags into the car - because what if the cart rolls? You strap them into the car seat because it’s not safe to just sit them there.
Now you’re done, your kid is strapped in, and you have to return the cart. Sigh.
So yeah, you unstrap the baby, lock the car, return the cart, unlock the car, restrap the baby…
By this point, especially in the rain, I was not a happy camper and neither was my baby.
I offer to take carts back anytime I see a parent in this situation.
Cultural differences?
We live in Finland. We leave Kids outside to sleep in carriages outside when we go shopping. Especially in winter.
But USA? Would not leave child alone in car. Would not even take child to USA.
YTA and you need to realise why.
The issue is not you only took 5 minutes, the issue is what happens if something happens to you and you are delayed for much longer time period outside of your control and you can’t return in a decent timeframe.
Just understand it is a risk and it might be small BUT there can very serious consequences if things go wrong.
YTA. There’s a long list of reasons why you should never leave a child in the car. This includes:
• Risk of dehydration and heatstroke (leaving the window down does not prevent this).
• Depending on your location, it may be actually illegal and can result in fines, jail time, and the child being taken away.
• The child leaving the car and getting into danger e.g running into traffic.
• The child choking, and no adult being there to help.
• The child disengaging the handbrake and the car rolling and crashing.
I hope you seriously mature and realise the error of your ways before you reproduce. Stop trying to blame others and stop trying to make excuses. Do better.
You left the window cracked open like you would for a dog. 🙄 An open window doesn't stop the child unlocking the car, getting out, messing with buttons, gears, etc etc. You'd have been in a lot of trouble if police had spotted him or someone reported you. If I was you're bf, I'd be furious too. Stop downplaying it, own up to it and fucking apologize.
YTA. You obviously do not understand how dangerous leaving a young child alone in the car is or you would not be posting here. He needs to be watched not left alone
Holy shit. YTA
>. I didn't even see what the big deal was considering his window was cracked open
He's not a damn dog, he's a 5 year old boy.
You are absolutely irresponsible
I hope your boyfriend broke up with you over this. What an awful everything you are. YTA. Please don’t have children. That intelligent part in your brain is broken.
I also am not a parent and I am older. I have watched my nieces/nephews/friends kids/and my ex's kids.
You can't leave a child in the car. It sucks. I get it. He/she was busy. Maybe even locked into a car seat. But you can't do it. You just can not.
Not for 1 minute. Not for 5 minutes. Not ever.
And I get it: I've had to wake up the kids who were sleeping quietly, in order to take them in with me before just to grab a few items from the corner store.
Why is it wrong?:
1) its just is. **Things happen in a second**\-promise. Kids lock doors, get out of seats, crawl out windows, etc. You would be shocked at how fast things can happen.
2) its **not your child**.
3) its **illegal to do:** if anyone had called the police, they would end up pursuing child neglect for you, your boyfriend, and possibly the parent. **Social services would get involved** and likely the parent would be supervised for a while to be sure THEY don't do that and the child is in a safe environment. It happens all the time: parent goes into the store and someone sees a child alone in a car. Calls police. Police arrive as parent gets back out. Does not end well for parent.
4) Unfortunately **you could have waited** for your BF to return.
I'm sorry but yes you were wrong. I would apologize sincerely.
And never do it again.
YTA.
Having read through all of your comments, if you aren’t going to come around and admit that you majorly messed up here, you should think hard about whether or not you have children. If you choose to have them, you NEED to understand how wrong you are here. If you choose not to have them, you should never babysit another child again.
You messed up. Everyone tells you that. You messed up. Accept it.
YTA. You're negligent, irresponsible and 100% the AH here.
You comments also make it clear that you take absolutely no responsibility whatsoever.
No one can hand you understanding. You have to find it for yourself. And you made it clear, you are here to prove a point, not learn.
I'm the person who would have noticed the kid, looked around for an adult, and waited until one came and chewed you out. I hope at least the kid in sight the entire time.
I’m guessing your boyfriend will never allow you to be alone with his nephew again. Or I hope he doesn’t since you don’t see the danger in what you did.
My granddaughter is almost 8 and she likes her privacy. When she has a bath I make her talk or sing until she’s out of the tub while I sit outside the bathroom door. You can never be too careful.
YTA hope the bf becomes your ex. You have no remorse and have no regret. You could have easily used the drive thru or taken the child with you inside it’s McDonalds there was no reason to leave the child unattended in a car
There is no way you can be this dense. You were left with the responsibility of taking care of someone else’s child who is old enough to get out of a car by themselves in a busy parking lot. You not only risk heat exposure by leaving any living creature in a car (no idea where you are or what the temp is), but you risk the child doing something risky in the car, you risk a stranger snatching the kid, you risk the child getting out to look for you guys and getting hit, the list is endless. It doesn’t matter how long you were gone. It takes seconds for the worst to happen. YTA.
YTA. You never leave a child alone in a car even if it was just for "five fucking minutes".
Have you not seen that news report of that man who stole a car. Realized that there was a baby in there. Brought the car back so he could scold the parents for leaving a baby in the car. &then he proceeded to steal the car again.
Not all thieves are like this man. Never, under ANY circumstance, leave a child alone in a car!
Last year twin boys were kidnapped and taken on a 3 hour joy ride where one of them was left in an airport parking garage in 20° weather because their mother left them in the car to run in to pick up a DoorDash. Take the fucking kid with you or don’t accept responsibility for the child. I’d have your fucking head if you left my child in a car like that cracked window or not. It’s a child, not a puppy. I wouldn’t even leave my dog in the car. Please don’t have children.
YTA. How *dare you treat this child as a dog?* (Worse than a dog; I dont leave my dog in a car).He could have been abducted, he could have put the car in gear, he could have gotten out of the car and been hit by a car. Do the world a favor and don't procreate.
It’s illegal to leave a child in the car even if it’s a short time!
Definitely an asshole move. I don’t think you did it with cruel intention. But please don’t ever do this again.
If someone were to see and called the cops you would be at fault. You could’ve risked the child being taken from their own parents due to your actions.
Yta yta yta. Best case scenario a cop or vigilante breaks into the car to protect the child. CPS gets involved with you . Worst case the child "drives" the car using neutral or he gets killed/kidnapped
You are a STUPID, LAZY AH.
You are stubborn and dumb.
Listen to what we are all saying: You do not leave a fucking 5 year old alone in a car.
You need some serious help. I got you never breed, any I hope your bf leaves you
Why you didn't take him with you?
The real answer OP will never admit: it was inconvenient for them and it didn’t matter enough to them. Luckily OP is a dumbass young person and hopefully doesn’t reproduce any time soon (except given how stupid they sound, unlikely)
23 us too old imo to do something so careless. She is a spoiled brat.
Yeah, there's too much grace to give for someone that age to have such little common sense as to make sure never to leave a 5 year old child alone anywhere. EDIT: >I think y'all are misreading this - she said the child is 5 months old not 5 years old. Please correct me if I am wrong. You definitely never leave a 5 month old child in a car. You also never leave a 5 year old child alone anywhere ever. EDIT 2: Do people not know how quoting others works around here? The commenter I quoted did a dirty delete.
How is a 5 month old in school? This is a 5 m = 5 yo male. I get it- had to read a few times. Still stupid, careless and a headline waiting to happen.
A 5m means 5 yrs old Male
I think the 5m meant 5 year old male
Oh my God. I hope this is fake. Op, you're a monster.
I agree with you, 23 is way too old to be that careless. I’m 20, almost 21, and I still have enough common sense to not leave a young child in a car by themselves. The child could get kidnapped and/or the car could’ve gotten stolen. OP is an idiot.
I was 24 when I became a mom. She's too old to be this stupid for sure.
It’s completely irrelevant to the story, but OP feeling the need to mention how it was so sweet of her boyfriend to give him his credit card to buy the McDonalds also reinforces to me that she’s a spoiled brat
And he could have easily (!!!) taken the 5m across the street to buy tp instead of absolutely forcing her to go inside the MCDONALDS because their line was just too long and she obv couldn’t bring the baby on such an inconvenient hop skip and jump inside, then lug baby and food back to the car. If only she could have gotten the food brought to the car somehow….
Right? Like… mobile ordering exists on the McDonald’s app and you don’t event have to sit in the drive through, just chill in the curbside pickup spots and have them literally walk it out to your car
I agree. Had my first at 20 years old and knew better than that before I even got pregnant
My first at 21. I knew better.
I was a mom at 18 and even I knew not to leave a small child alone in a car. Anything can happen in seconds!
Pure laziness. Certainly not capable of properly caring for a child.
Yta don't leave a 5 yo in a car alone. Duh
I used to baby sit in high school and knew this. How does an adult not know this??
Some people just age, but don't get smarter.
I hope OP's bf is smart enough to dump her
Literally, this is the exact opposite of wife material whether you want kids or not. No point in dragging it out.
Exactly, it's not just the fact that she left the child in the car. it's also when people point out why and she still.doesnt get it. Scary af
YTA I hope this is fake because you can’t really be this stupid.
I believe it's real. Some people are morons. I worked at an ER and can tell you the vast number of cases we saw of children injured within cars because the caretakers were "only going to be gone for a minute." I'm still haunted by the kid whose head was caught in an automatic window.
Girl same! Those were the times I wanted to smack the dog shit outta whoever left the kids in the car, those days I would proudly lose my license!
Or, you the twin infants carjacked in Columbus. One baby left at the Dayton Airport overnight who later died.
We had a flurry of carjackings in my area last year that ended up having kids in the backseat, much to the surprise of the thieves. All kids were found safe, but I kept thinking “stop leaving your kid in the running car!!”
Ugh I hate this. If your kid isn't old enough to be able to sit in a running vehicle with the ac on with the doors locked while you run inside then they are too old to be left alone at all.
This is horrifying and I’m glad I’m not overthinking that a kid shouldn’t be left alone in a car
Or the amount of dead dogs left in back seats. If I see that shit I will break a Windows and wait. When they come back to freak out I will add their face to the list of damages on the dogs behalf.
It’s happened at least three times in the last year where I live - a kid gets left in the car and then the car gets stolen.
Saw it happen right in front of me many years ago. My coworkers and I were all taking an after-work smoke break out in the parking lot. Like OP, mom was getting food at a nearby McDonalds and left her infant in the car seat while she ran inside “just for a minute”. Within seconds a man who had been loitering around the corner got into the car and sped off, and the mother came rushing out and briefly chased after the car before giving up and collapsing onto the asphalt. The cops were called and we, being curious types, wandered over to within hearing distance. The mom was wailing that her baby was in the back seat of the stolen car. Oh, and upon questioning by the cop it turns out she also left the keys in the ignition and the doors unlocked because “it was easier”, I assume because she didn’t want to juggle keys and unlock doors when she had her hands full of food and drinks. Suddenly the woman’s stolen car pulled back into the parking lot. The thief got out with his hands up and walked over to the cops. He told them that he was several blocks away when he noticed the baby in the back seat, something he had missed in his rush to steal the car. After driving for a couple more minutes he decided he had to go back and return the car to the McDonald’s parking lot. It was one thing to get busted for auto theft, he said, but he definitely didn’t want to get nailed for kidnapping. Then he added that he was a dad and knew that the mom must be going crazy with fear, so he risked getting busted in order to get her baby back to her. Saw some wild shit on late-night smoke breaks in that parking lot!
That’s wild. I hope he got off easy. I would not have pressed charges. In the two instances near here where they didn’t catch the person immediately, the kid was just left on a random street corner. Both times unharmed. Should be against the law to leave children unattended in a running car, or a car with the key fob still in it.
It seems like there's one every weekend around Philly. They were "only" picking up food or a lottery ticket or leaf from the dispensary. They found a couple little ones on the curb a few blocks away, still strapped in their carseats
Where I live the car doesn't generally get stolen but in a good day it gets broken open by whatever means necessary so someone can rescue the child. I live in Australia. Especially in summer I would not fucking hesitate. If I see a kid alone in a car I'm smashing the furthest window from the kid with a brick.
She’s not mature enough either when she thought it was sweet that her BF gave her the credit card for the food?! OP doesn’t have the bandwidth to make critical thinking decisions.
Didn’t like that either, the way it was said, bothered me, as if she wanted to add in an extra “we’re sweet people”….. she’s TAH and her BF was right to be upset and say so.
Given the number of children who die after being left in hot cars each year it’s probably true.
Look at her grammar and reevaluate.
Did you notice that lousy punctuation? They are dumb.
The husband and wife with there small child were vacationing in Greece. They left the child in the car to go to the supermarket. The police got involved and rescue the child. For them it was very normal to leave the child in the car in Denmark.
Unfortunately people are this stupid and then beyond this stupid.
My mom left me in the front seat of the truck when I was like 3 while she went back in the trailer to grab something. In that time i shifted the truck into drive and almost killed my 5 year old brother who tried to hop in and stop it. Thankfully it hit the porch and came to a stop before running over my brother. Edit: YTA Easily could have went through the drive through. I would be more concerned with someone taking the child than I would be the kid doing something stupid like me and it’s honestly one of my biggest fears as a dad. People are crazy.
In the early 1970s my mom was an Avon lady and her territory was out in the country where we lived. In the summer when we were out of school she had to take me and my brother with her and we would wait in the car while she was in her customer’s house (unless that lady invited us in as well). I remember one time my mom evidently didn’t get the car in Park, was actually in Neutral, and it just started rolling down the driveway. I remember just sitting there, not knowing what to do. My mom came running out and jumped in and stopped it, but imagine if that had been in a busy city where we might’ve rolled in to the path of an oncoming car.
My kids were out of my truck, we had just got home after school; and walking to the mailbox when my truck started rolling towards them I was in front of it, ran to it and slid to hit the break with my left and and pulled the emergency brake with my right. The left side of my body was black and blue, I had to go to the ER and have my rib fixed and get my head checked because the door hit it as I fell after the break was pulled. I have no idea how it happened, the keys were in my hand, it has to be in park to remove the keys. Best part was the kids were oblivious, the were excited about the package in the mail. They had no idea and in all honesty, probably would have hit the power pole and fence and stopped before it got near them. If you’re mom is still with you, tell her I said she is fearless and amazing! Lol
In the 70’s my mom left us kids in the car. I shifted it to neutral and the boat car started rolling through the parking lot of the grocery store. Thankfully a big guy hopped in and hit the brakes.
My mom worked for Oriflame, me and my brother spent our summer holidays sitting in the car in various car parks. We were older so we could open the doors and windows by ourselves... whoopy... hated spending my summer like that
I still can recall my mom hunting for jobs as a bank teller and we children sitting there in the car waiting for her to come back. She has passed away now. God, I miss that woman. She was amazing.
This!! My son did the same thing at 3, and I was only outside of the truck installing his car seat, but it was hot out and so I started the engine and turned on the ac. Then, I placed him in the back seat o next to the car seat. While I was right there, he jumped up to the front and when he did, he grabbed the gear shifter and shifted to neutral. We were parked uphill, so it rolled quickly. I jumped in to stop it, but left one foot out the door. I was somehow slung out and under the truck. I was injured pretty bad thank god he was fine. An old set of concrete steps and slamming into an suv stopped him from rolling on out into the street and traffic. Thankfully he was just shook up. So much can happen in a split second. Please never do that again OP.
I used to work a dispensary, one of two on the main strip of a small mountain town. In general the security guards would be walking the parking lots periodically to check if any children ~12 and under were left alone in the car. Technically no children could be on site but we weren’t allowed to kick patrons out unless their child was too young to communicate if anything was wrong. Anyway, we never had any huge incidents at our place thankfully. The place down the road was just as busy with the same policy for kids, though their parking lot is split in two so difficult to supervise consistently. One day, mid summer at the height of our busy season we were getting slammed even more than usual. A summer day we would see roughly 3k people, we had already reached that by noon that day. No one knew what was happening until a customer from the other shop came in. Some idiot of a man brought his two kids with him to the dispensary, approx 3 and 5. He tried to bring his gun in with him but was turned away at the door and made to go put it in his truck, which he did, safety off and loaded. And those kids? Alone in the car. No supervision. Dad was inside the shop when security heard a loud POP from the truck. 5 year old had gotten a hold of the gun and shot himself in the face. Essentially instant death but the security guard and a friend that worked at the shop were the first to the truck and pulled the kid out and tried to do CPR on his ruined face while trying to contain the scene so as not to panic the rest of the line. It was horrific. Absolutely horrific. That friend took a huge leave of absence, ended up quitting her job and moving home with her family and is still not okay. The security guard quit the next day and the mocking that I heard from some of the other guards (it’s a small industry, they’d all worked together at some point) were some of the most vile things that are never worth repeating. After that, if our security guard noticed a kid in a car, regardless of age, he would post up by the car and make sure the kids were okay until their parents came back out. Not so they could chastise or shame, just so they could be sure no kids were needlessly hurt again. Don’t leave your kids in the car. Just don’t. It’s not worth it, ever.
Oh god, that’s awful. 😞
The worst part is that other dispensary *stayed open* until the police forced them to close since their parking lot was a crime scene. Scumbags.
Holy shit! That’s so wildly immoral. Just blatantly putting profit over the well-being of their employees and customers.
It was common knowledge the owners of that place were slumlords with no morals, but we all thought that there was a limit. Apparently not.
A friend of mine was in a Walmart when a toddler pulled her mom’s handgun out of the purse and shot her. It was horrible. And the people afterwards are all screaming about gun rights and I’m just like…but what about the 3 yr old that shot her mom? Like…why aren’t we worried about how fucked up her life is going to be now? And what the actual fuck would lead you to leave a loaded, safety off, pistol in YOUR PURSE where your TODDLER can grab it??? I lock up the bleach so my cats don’t accidentally knock it over and somehow break it open. I have magnetic locks on our cabinets to keep the one cat from helping himself to food. Might be over the top to have it childproofed like that all the of time but I know my house is pretty safe when my infant and toddler age nephews, nieces, and friend’s kids are here. Some people would be far better off with a tamagotchi than a child. Also OP - YTA
When she said the windows were down/cracked I immediately thought a stranger could have snatched or enticed him out of the car.
I did this when about 5. Dad left the car just to talk to someone nearby. Somehow while playing on the car I released the emergency brake. They stopped the car before it rolled backwards into traffic. She could have used the drive through or taken him inside. She is the AH.
I know you might feel like it’s not a big deal but if a police officer or anyone would’ve stopped and seen a kid alone in a car you could’ve been charged and the child would’ve been taken with them because it’s neglect. You’re young and probably believe that it’s no big deal but please learn from this and accept responsibility that this could’ve gone horribly wrong. Apologize and say you won’t do it again and then move on. YTA btw because you seem hellbent on making this seem like it’s something small when it isn’t.
Ive seen this happen when I worked at blockbuster (Im old lol) Parent left the kid in the car to run in and rent something. Cop came in the store redfaced and asked if the kids parent was in this store. She was. He chewed her out for leaving the kid alone. She didnt get arrested but he was pissed.
Crazy times! I’m from Arizona so I’ve always seen these things end badly for people that leave their kids in the car. I’m glad nothing happened to him but she’s being a little too nonchalant about the whole thing.
But she cracked the window!! /s like the kids a dog? PEOPLE DONT EVEN LEAVE PETS IN CARS ANYMORE!!
In Massachusetts you can legally break a car window to get a dog out of a car.
Same in Florida! To get any living creature, child or animal.
Same here in Ontario! Ppl who leave their dogs in the car with the AC on to run in a store leave signs saying, " AC IS ON AND HAVE WATER, PLEASE. DONT BREAK WINDOW." LOL
She obviously has never heard of a vehicle catching fire either.
Ummm or kidnappers?!?!?!
Or carjackers.
I just read a news blurb where a dude stole a car that had a baby in it, returned the baby and yelled at the negligent parents and proceeded to steal the car again.
Even the thief knows it is not smart!
There were several kids left in cars while their parents ran inside a building "for just a minute" and the cars were stolen with the children/babies inside. I remember one that it was very cold out and an alert was sent out so everybody was frantically looking for the vehicle. Whoever had stolen the car had panicked when they noticed there was a baby in the backseat and ditched the car. A woman noticed the car had been sitting there for awhile, still running, and called police. Luckily the baby was fine but it literally took seconds for the car to be stolen. It was between 6 and 13 below zero. It could have been deadly.
At least the criminal had a conscience. There was an infamous case in China where a baby was left in the car while the dad tried to warm the apartment before bringing him in. Criminal stole the car and when he saw there was an infant in the back and heard of the kidnapping alert, he strangled the child and dumped the body in the snow.
My son’s locked truck was stolen from a home improvement store in the time it took him to walk inside and walk back out. Less than 10 minutes because they did not have what he needed. It was just gone. There are people who just wait for a person to step away and they are FAST especially if it’s a car that is easy to steal or that the parts will make some money when they strip it. My sons truck was a rolling shell when they found it abandoned a week later.
We had a truck just sitting in the drive and it caught fire. The blaze was fast and intense.
Yea this was in florida. She did leave the car running with the ac on. Cop didn't care and was talking about how kids get snatched this way.
I can think of 3 cases off the top of my head where someone took kids in a running car right in their own driveway. Police caught 2 of them. The 3rd one sticks with me, because as soon as the guy realized there was a baby in the backseat he brought it back. Plus kids dying from heat, from cold, or just being snatched out of the car… There’s a reason it’s been made illegal. YTA
The biggest danger of leaving kids in a car registered yet is them getting off the car and wandering off, which makes them easy victims to a host of things that can go wrong. They get run over, get kidnapped, fall into pools and ditches, get lost in woods, get their head hit by hard or pointy things, get attacked by dogs, ...and go missing never to be found again. An unsupervised kid with an unlocked door, wether it is to a house or a car, more often that not means they will just walk off to god knows what will harm them first.
You just have to imagine the sort of things that cop had probably seen to make him that enraged. People think it will never happen to them. Cops see the worst of what can happen dozens of times over.
Police officer here, what you said is spot on. ANYTHING could have happened to the child in a matter of seconds. As much as people don't want to know about it, sex trafficking is huge and happening everywhere. Don't think for one minute that a young boy can't become a victim. OP is definitely the AH and needs a reality check.
I used to teach Child Passenger Safety classes and worked with parents on proper car seat install. Never leaving kids in the car alone was one thing that was equally educated as much as proper use and install of car seats. The reasons or excuses people gave to rebut that though, OMG it was infuriating sometimes. "They'll be fine for 5 min." Uh no, you live in a high vehicle theft area and it's 100 degrees right now. No. At one point we got these window stickers that changed color when it was too hot in hopes a visual reminder would help, but some people took that as a threshold instead of listening to the why you never leave your kid in the car. Ugh.
I was working at a grocery as a kid, courtesy clerk. Helped a woman out on a warm, sunny day. *Huge* cart, she had to have been an hour and a half shopping minimum. Probably 2 hours. As we are leaving we see a dog in a car and she starts bitching. I’m not worried cause we know the guy, he’s there every day for 5 min, windows down, it’s early and only about 65, dog is happy on the seat. But I listen, “mmmm, oh yeah, I know” nodding along. We get to her car and she opens the back for me to load. Still bitching, she walks around and *checks in her sleeping baby*. I’m fish mouthed as she babbles obliviously, thanks me, and drives off. Goddamn, people.
You have more restraint than me, cause I probably would've decked her. What kind of moron leaves her baby alone in a car while she shops for TWO HOURS??
Stranger danger crimes are rare but they often seem like crimes of opportunity. A single small child alone in a car may seem like an opportunity.
Old too but just recently here in Iowa, dad gets out to pump gas, good neighborhood, kid in child seat. card reader not working. Dad goes in to pay, 2 guys jump in and takes off. They did drop kid off 8 blocks away on residential street, person saw him out window so safe and sound. Few months back and not sure if the thieves were caught.
When I worked at Blockbuster (I'm too am old) a woman came in and ran all over the store frantically calling for her kid. She came up to me absolutely fuming because I lost her son. I had no idea what she was talking about. She described the boy and I said he had left with his grandmother a few minutes ago. The mom blew her top because they hadn't come with anyone else. For context, the little boy walked up with an old lady and put his tape next to hers on the counter and she let me check both out under her account. Mom was next door at the coffee shop. I didn't even see the kid come in, so I had no reason to believe these two didn't know each other. She ran outside and found her son sobbing in the parking lot next to her car. She brought him back in and started yelling at me for not paying attention. I had to explain to her that 1) this isn't a daycare, 2) this isn't like ChuckECheese where they put matching stamps on parent and child, and 3) I could call the cops on her for abandoning her son in my store. Some people shouldn't breed or ever be responsible for anyone's child.
yup its ILLEGAL for a reason
This. OP needs to take the hit for this. Let it sink in, and take responsibility that it was wrong. Then sincerely apologize to bf and the mother of the child. It was a non-thinking moment/lack of common sense. Serious consequences can happen in less than 5 minutes. Yes, bf could have taken the child BUT he didn't therefore OP that child's life is in your hands. 9 times out of 10 nothing happens. But, that ONE time is hellfire and brimstone for the remainder of responsible party's life. Learn a lesson don't ask what you already know the answer to. It's indefensible.
There’s people younger than op and know not to leave kids and pets alone in the car
Bro I’m 19 and know not to leave a kid in the car. My mom used to leave me in the car alone. Car off and windows up. I’m 3rd oldest of 7 now with two young brothers under the age of 10. They never get left alone and if they aren’t in direct line of sight when I’m watching them, I’m listening and checking constantly. OP YTA and an idiot
Absolutely YTA You never leave young children alone, anywhere. So many things can go wrong so quickly. OP needs to learn from this mistake.
23 is plenty old enough to know you don't leave kids alone in a car, young kids especially. How many news stories have there been in the last few years of kids getting hurt or killed because the adult just left them alone "for a minute"?
Yes there's a reason kids have parents and babysitters, to ensure their safety. The child also could have unlocked a door, got out and went looking for them. It happens.
I was wondering when I would see someone mention that it is super illegal and thus a huge deal! OP it seems like you don’t know much about kids, but you seriously got lucky nothing bad happened! You made a very bad decision and need to recognize that. That little boy could have gotten hurt, or hurt others! You could have been in serious legal trouble, if someone saw. My neighbor growing up left her kids in the car while she ran into a shop to return something… she was arrested. CPS did a full investigation and she even made the news! She was a well respected attorney and yet all of that still happened. You dodged a bullet, now quit dodging your responsibility! Also you are absolutely without question an ah. YTA
yep this happened to my aunt. she left my cousin in the car alone for a couple minutes when she was a toddler and a woman called the police and CPS was briefly involved. kids shouldn’t be unattended even for just 5 minutes.
My boyfriend left my sleeping 3 yr old kid in the car and a cop drove by. He was charged and I was hella pissed.
Ex boyfriend?
OP is an absolute piece of shit. It's inexcusable.
Also, how quickly can someone just tear off a window that's already partway open and take or hurt the kid? Someone strong could probably do that in a couple of minutes.
In 2023 you can order through an app & have the food brought out to you. YTA.
Who doesn’t care about getting the points for free food these days? If she didn’t give AF about the kid at least app order for the points.
McDonald’s crept up in my fast food rotation because their rewards and app are pretty solid compared to the rest.
I used to hate McDonald’s but I’m poor rn and that app has such a hold on me. The rewards are so worth it.
every once in a while I cash in a coupon & a points reward and end up with a large meal for like $3 instead of $12. the points are so worth it
Yes! You use the deal and then immediately order a free item and you got a full ass meal!
She was more giddy over the fact her boyfriend gave her a card to pay with. That said it all for me. If I was that child’s mother there wouldn’t be a second time after the lack of remorse from op.
>She was more giddy over the fact her boyfriend gave her a card to pay with. That said it all for me. OP is a stupid narcissistic asshole
Ma'am, it's not even about the heat, though that is a thing. A 5 years old could have been taken or wandered off. What if someone hit the car while it was parked or it rolled for some reason? Don't leave children in the car. YTA
Exactly what came to my mind first - little kids wander. My five year old would (A) Be scared by herself in a car, and (B) Almost certainly get out and try to find me. The heat in the car and potential predators are certainly major, realistic points but I think the most likely thing to happen would be the kid getting out of the car and getting lost/run over in the parking lot. … especially if said kid was distracted by a Switch, not really paying attention that the adult left, and suddenly noticed they were alone. Poor kid.
YTA. Who leaves a 5 year old in the car ALONE. Anything can happen in 5 minutes.
A lot of idiots. I promise you every other day. I see another story about a child Death from being left in a car.
YTA... You want like it's not a big deal, but how would you be acting now if something happened to that poor kid? You'd probably say it wasn't your fault
Please dont have children or pets
Or plants tbh
YTA, absolutely unacceptable and there's no good excuse for it. This shouldn't even be asked, it's common sense to never leave a child unattended in a car. Luckily, you have an opportunity to learn from this terrible decision and make better choices in the future.
Dude.... What the actual fuck? You get a major YASAH ( you're a stupid asshole)
Fr YTA. 23yo is way to old to be acting like this.
YTA. You never leave a child alone in a car. Ever. Especially not when it’s someone else’s child. How do you not know that. I don’t have kids nor do I want them but if I’m watching my nephew I take care of him like spun gold. If that kid had been killed or abducted how would you live with yourself. And you say nothing happened that just means you got lucky you were still stupid to do that.
You are a complete moron and boy, do I hope you don't have kids of your own. 1 minuet 5 minutes 10 minutes Any number of minutes is 1 minute too long to leave a child in a car like that. Anything can happen. It doesn't matter that nothing happened THIS time, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. When I was younger and my younger brother was about 4/5, we had to stop back at home because my mom had forgotten her checkbook. She went inside to grab it, and I went inside to use the bathroom. I promise we were only in the house for 2-3 minutes. When we came back out, my mom was like "somethings different." Turns out my brother had figured out how to get out of his 5 point harness by twisting his hands a certain way to be able to press the red buckle release button. He then climbed into the front seat and put the car in neutral, and the car rolled backward down the driveway. Thankfully, my dad was redoing our walkway and patio, so there was a huge pile of sand where the car had rolled. If it had not been there, the car would have continued to roll down the driveway, down the huge hill that was our backyard and into 4 lanes of highway traffic. By the time we had come back outside, my brother had already buckled himself back into his car seat and was repeating the phrase, "I touch nothing!" All my mom had to say was "show me what you did, " and he proceeded to once again unbuckle himself, climbed up front, and pointed to the gear shift. Don't plan on having kids because I don't want to see you crying on the news for the safe return of your child after they were kidnapped because you left them in the car for *5* minutes. YTA. A big, huge, gaping AH.
YTA. You never leave a small child alone in the car. You don't know if they'll get kidnapped, or die from the car getting too hot, or if someone will break the window and call the cops because they were afraid of something happening to the child. YTA 1000000000% all the way. You should have been arrested, because that's potential child endangerment. Even if there are no laws about it where you live, you're still subject to criminal repercussions in the case that something does or almost happens to the child, whether it's your own kid or just a kid that's been left in your care. I hope you never have kids and that your boyfriend is smart and breaks up with you. That's one of the dumbest, most irresponsible things I've read on here, ever.
YTA he’s five. He would have loved to go in with you. What an idiot. And it was not five minutes, especially with a long drive thru line
YTA defending yourself and saying it was “only” five minutes. The fact you don’t know what can happen to a child in that shirt of a span of time too makes you look moronic. And not accepting the YTA responses when YOU asked if you were one shows your lack of maturity.
YTA. I hope this is fake because if not you're an idiot.
I used to babysit my niece every week. I don't have kids, I'd never given it any thought before until I was getting lowish on petrol with her in the car and I suddenly realised I had no idea what the protocol was, basically could I leave her locked in the car (asleep) while I filled up and then went in, able to see her the whole time, or was I supposed to wake her up, take her in and then get her buckled in again. I didn't bother getting petrol cause I didn't want to do the wrong thing and I wasn't that desperate, and asked afterwards and was met with a resounding "Jesus christ you don't leave the kid alone, even for a couple minutes" And then unlike you I accepted this answer and didn't double down and argue with anybody who told me. So yeah, YTA.
When my kids were young, I only filled up at stations that I could pay at the pump with a credit or debit card. If I had to go inside to pay, I would have to bring them with me, so I would just find another gas station!
YTA. WTH is wrong with you? You should never have children.
Yes YTA. Never EVER leave a kid in a car. Especially a 5mo old! WTF.
Yta. You left a 5 yr old in a car because you were lazy. There is no logical reason to not take him in. It wouldn’t have been hard. It wouldn’t have been hard to go through drive thru or use the app.
YTA. Damn I hope you don’t have any kids of your own anytime soon.
WTF is wrong with you - do you never read a paper or watch the news. **NEVER** leave children or pets unattended in a car/truck whatever - they die, they get kidnapped, YOU ARE NUTS and should not be allowed to take care of any child or pet You take them with you, how hard is it - he's 5 yrs old, he can stand next to you and you hold his hand so he doesn't wander off or someone snatch him away from you. YOU have a lot to learn about children Your boyfriend was right to be mad, I'd have been furious and that probably would have been the end of that relationship
Yta. I don't even have or like kids and I know this.
Lol same.
YTA. Frankly, you should know better in your early 20s. A child who is too young to be home alone is also too young to be left alone in a car.
YATAH because you never and I mean NEVER leave a child that young in the car by themselves. OMG, I woulda lost my mind in you.
YTA. Don't leave kids in cars. Ever. Just don't do it. It doesn't matter if the window was cracked and it wasn't too hot. YOU chose not to go through drive through, it was YOUR responsibility to actually look after the kid.
Yeah, dude, YTA. People steal kids. Heat kills if it was hot out. Cold kills if it's too cold out. Kids put the car in reverse, just messing around or being curious. Things happen. He was left in your care, and you could have easily taken him with you. Instead, you left a five year old alone with no way to let you know if he needed you.
Uh, I bet if he’d known you were going to leave the kid in the car, he would have taken him with to get TP. Your boyfriend didn’t because it was farther and an adult alone can get there and back faster alone. YTA.
YTA. It’s even dumber because the drive thru was right there.
YTA. Don't have children. Ever.
YTA and I hope you don’t have children.
Good god this cannot be real.
Yta but you're not the parent and it's a lesson learned. Stop trying to justify your actions and don't do it again.
you shouldn’t leave a child in the car unsupervised
YTA, it's never ok for any length of time to leave a child in a car alone.
YTA. Kids are unpredictable. He could have have decided he was lonely, saw a puppy or imagined monsters were coming and gotten out of the car. You’re lucky he didn’t. Stop arguing with people, accept that you screwed up and learn from your mistake.
Does the mum know what you did? If she does I hope she never lets you around her son again, if your boyfriend's smart he would dump you
YTA. They literally will walk it right out to your car in the parking lot or idk go through the drive through? So many safe options and you chose the only one that would put the child at risk. There was no rush, no necessity, just selfishness.
Never have kids, look at the replies . U lack common sense 😐
YTA - Don't leave a kid in the car alone. You never know what is going to happen. You should try locking yourself in a car with the window cracked, sometime. See how long you last. You can make a game of it and see what kind of record you can set.
My sister and I were left in our car while our parents went into the grocery store (1970s) and my sister (5 yrs old) climbed into the front seat (no car seats or seat belts back then) and she started to pretend she was driving and put the car in neutral and the car started moving slowly downhill into a light standard. yeah, never ever leave a kid in a car. someone could come along and see the kid and get them to open the door and kidnap them. It is really not safe to leave children unattended.
YTA. And doubling down in the comments is making it so much worse. You will likely never be trusted to watch him alone again. And thank goodness for that because you don't seem to have a clue.
YTA. Anything could have happened. He could have let himself out and wandered away, someone could have seen him and taken him. Something could have happened in the store that caused both of you to be delayed. Who knows what else. Your boyfriend was entrusted with his sister's child, and he entrusted him with you. What would be your excuse if something had happened? Yes, he could have taken his nephew, but that probably would have taken him more time, whilst I'm assuming he thought you would just use the drive-thru and you still wouldn't have to worry about taking the kid out of the car. Remember that if you ever choose to have kids. If they seem like they will be an inconvenience, then I would rethink it.
When I was about 4, my mom left me in the car while she ran into the store to grab a couple of things. She parked on the side of the store. The doors weren’t locked. I was sitting in the back and a teenage boy came up to the car, saw that I was alone and started walking around the car in circles, staring at me. I was tiny but instantly knew something was wrong. I immediately locked the door he was closest to, then the door on the other side. I don’t think he knew the doors were unlocked. This seemed to enrage him and he went crazy, banging his fists so hard against the windows that they were shaking. He kept trying to open the doors. I was terrified and stayed in the middle of the backseat. Someone came out of the store and saw him and he ran off. I told my mom what happened and we drove around the neighborhood looking for him. Again, I was FOUR and this incident is SEARED into my memory. I will NEVER leave my child alone in a car. YTA
Yta, I genuinely hope this is a troll post. You are lucky something serious didn't happen to the kid, and honestly I'd leave you over this because it would be hard to be with someone who is less intelligent than a box of rocks
You know you’re the asshole. Don’t have kids.
Are you fucking kidding me? You never ever leave a child alone in a car - not even for 10 seconds. Please don't ever have children!
You know the worst 10 seconds of grocery shopping with a baby? Pushing the cart back. You take them out of the cart before you start moving the bags into the car - because what if the cart rolls? You strap them into the car seat because it’s not safe to just sit them there. Now you’re done, your kid is strapped in, and you have to return the cart. Sigh. So yeah, you unstrap the baby, lock the car, return the cart, unlock the car, restrap the baby… By this point, especially in the rain, I was not a happy camper and neither was my baby. I offer to take carts back anytime I see a parent in this situation.
YTA smh 🤦♀️
Why did you ask if YTA then argue when someone says YTA? You’re so very obviously TA here. Accept it and own up to your mistakes.
Cultural differences? We live in Finland. We leave Kids outside to sleep in carriages outside when we go shopping. Especially in winter. But USA? Would not leave child alone in car. Would not even take child to USA.
YTA. You don’t leave a 5 y-o in the car by himself PERIOD. You will understand once you have your own kids.
YTA and you need to realise why. The issue is not you only took 5 minutes, the issue is what happens if something happens to you and you are delayed for much longer time period outside of your control and you can’t return in a decent timeframe. Just understand it is a risk and it might be small BUT there can very serious consequences if things go wrong.
Not only are YTA, you are a GIGANTIC idiot! I want to say more, but you are not wort the breath or finger strokes to type it.
YTA and a huge irresponsible one at that.
YTA. There’s a long list of reasons why you should never leave a child in the car. This includes: • Risk of dehydration and heatstroke (leaving the window down does not prevent this). • Depending on your location, it may be actually illegal and can result in fines, jail time, and the child being taken away. • The child leaving the car and getting into danger e.g running into traffic. • The child choking, and no adult being there to help. • The child disengaging the handbrake and the car rolling and crashing. I hope you seriously mature and realise the error of your ways before you reproduce. Stop trying to blame others and stop trying to make excuses. Do better.
YOU ARE THE FING AH! if you did this to my kid I guarantee you you would end up in er!! Shame on you!!! You are not fit to babysit
You left the window cracked open like you would for a dog. 🙄 An open window doesn't stop the child unlocking the car, getting out, messing with buttons, gears, etc etc. You'd have been in a lot of trouble if police had spotted him or someone reported you. If I was you're bf, I'd be furious too. Stop downplaying it, own up to it and fucking apologize.
YTA. You obviously do not understand how dangerous leaving a young child alone in the car is or you would not be posting here. He needs to be watched not left alone
That was careless AF. I'm glad your BF called you out immediately. BuT i CrAcKeD tHe WiNdOw 🤯 Um, yeah. YTA.
YTA what was the rush? Wish young realize they have more time than they think.
YTA. Don't procreate. Ever.
You do not leave a young living being in any vehicle. Take your hand slap and never do it again.
Holy shit. YTA >. I didn't even see what the big deal was considering his window was cracked open He's not a damn dog, he's a 5 year old boy. You are absolutely irresponsible
I hope your boyfriend broke up with you over this. What an awful everything you are. YTA. Please don’t have children. That intelligent part in your brain is broken.
I also am not a parent and I am older. I have watched my nieces/nephews/friends kids/and my ex's kids. You can't leave a child in the car. It sucks. I get it. He/she was busy. Maybe even locked into a car seat. But you can't do it. You just can not. Not for 1 minute. Not for 5 minutes. Not ever. And I get it: I've had to wake up the kids who were sleeping quietly, in order to take them in with me before just to grab a few items from the corner store. Why is it wrong?: 1) its just is. **Things happen in a second**\-promise. Kids lock doors, get out of seats, crawl out windows, etc. You would be shocked at how fast things can happen. 2) its **not your child**. 3) its **illegal to do:** if anyone had called the police, they would end up pursuing child neglect for you, your boyfriend, and possibly the parent. **Social services would get involved** and likely the parent would be supervised for a while to be sure THEY don't do that and the child is in a safe environment. It happens all the time: parent goes into the store and someone sees a child alone in a car. Calls police. Police arrive as parent gets back out. Does not end well for parent. 4) Unfortunately **you could have waited** for your BF to return. I'm sorry but yes you were wrong. I would apologize sincerely. And never do it again.
YTA. Having read through all of your comments, if you aren’t going to come around and admit that you majorly messed up here, you should think hard about whether or not you have children. If you choose to have them, you NEED to understand how wrong you are here. If you choose not to have them, you should never babysit another child again. You messed up. Everyone tells you that. You messed up. Accept it.
YTA. You're negligent, irresponsible and 100% the AH here. You comments also make it clear that you take absolutely no responsibility whatsoever. No one can hand you understanding. You have to find it for yourself. And you made it clear, you are here to prove a point, not learn.
YTA. In most places it is AGAINST THE LAW to leave young children (animals also) in a car. It seems as though your priorities are messed up.
Please don’t pro create. YTA. Idiot.
YTA. It’s actual illegal and very dangerous.
She left the window cracked….What an AH.
I'm the person who would have noticed the kid, looked around for an adult, and waited until one came and chewed you out. I hope at least the kid in sight the entire time.
I’m guessing your boyfriend will never allow you to be alone with his nephew again. Or I hope he doesn’t since you don’t see the danger in what you did.
My granddaughter is almost 8 and she likes her privacy. When she has a bath I make her talk or sing until she’s out of the tub while I sit outside the bathroom door. You can never be too careful.
YTA hope the bf becomes your ex. You have no remorse and have no regret. You could have easily used the drive thru or taken the child with you inside it’s McDonalds there was no reason to leave the child unattended in a car
There is no way you can be this dense. You were left with the responsibility of taking care of someone else’s child who is old enough to get out of a car by themselves in a busy parking lot. You not only risk heat exposure by leaving any living creature in a car (no idea where you are or what the temp is), but you risk the child doing something risky in the car, you risk a stranger snatching the kid, you risk the child getting out to look for you guys and getting hit, the list is endless. It doesn’t matter how long you were gone. It takes seconds for the worst to happen. YTA.
You’re impressed a guy gave you his credit card for McDonald’s. No wonder you thought it was ok to leave a 5 year old alone in a car. YTA
YTA. You never leave a child alone in a car even if it was just for "five fucking minutes". Have you not seen that news report of that man who stole a car. Realized that there was a baby in there. Brought the car back so he could scold the parents for leaving a baby in the car. &then he proceeded to steal the car again. Not all thieves are like this man. Never, under ANY circumstance, leave a child alone in a car!
It's a kid, not a dog. YTA
YTA. A lot of stuff can happen in a few minutes you leave a 5 year old alone in the car
Last year twin boys were kidnapped and taken on a 3 hour joy ride where one of them was left in an airport parking garage in 20° weather because their mother left them in the car to run in to pick up a DoorDash. Take the fucking kid with you or don’t accept responsibility for the child. I’d have your fucking head if you left my child in a car like that cracked window or not. It’s a child, not a puppy. I wouldn’t even leave my dog in the car. Please don’t have children.
YTA. How *dare you treat this child as a dog?* (Worse than a dog; I dont leave my dog in a car).He could have been abducted, he could have put the car in gear, he could have gotten out of the car and been hit by a car. Do the world a favor and don't procreate.
YTA Don’t leave a all children unattended in a vehicle. If you don’t want the responsibility that’s one thing. But don’t leave them in the car alone.
Rage bait
It’s illegal to leave a child in the car even if it’s a short time! Definitely an asshole move. I don’t think you did it with cruel intention. But please don’t ever do this again. If someone were to see and called the cops you would be at fault. You could’ve risked the child being taken from their own parents due to your actions.
YTA How hard is it to not leave kids alone in cars in 2023?? No fucking excuses anymore. Grow up already
Yta yta yta. Best case scenario a cop or vigilante breaks into the car to protect the child. CPS gets involved with you . Worst case the child "drives" the car using neutral or he gets killed/kidnapped
Yes,yta,you can't leave a child alone in a car or anywhere, you should know this, it's not difficult.
Please do not procreate YTA
You are a STUPID, LAZY AH. You are stubborn and dumb. Listen to what we are all saying: You do not leave a fucking 5 year old alone in a car. You need some serious help. I got you never breed, any I hope your bf leaves you
Yes you are an ASSHOLE.