It's time for a Mom Confession -- because, let's face it, we're real mothers and sometimes it doesn't work the way the parenting books say it should.
This Week's Confession:
In comfortable weather, during the day, I let my kids nap in the car in the driveway if they fall asleep on the way home from somewhere. We live in a two-stoplight town with very low crime rates. I park the car in the driveway where I can see it from the house and lock the doors. I go out every five minutes or so to peek in at them and check the temperature inside the van to make sure it's not too warm or too cool for them. But some people (my mom) still think it's terrible that I do this. I check on them so much and they're all locked up that they're probably safer in there than in their bedrooms! -- anonymous
We all have secrets -- so thanks to this brave mom for sharing her honest thoughts, and thank you for keeping this conversation non-judgmental!
Do you have a Mom Confession you want to share? PM me. We can share your confession with your CafeMom screenname or anonymously.
Past Confessions:
I'm Afraid My Husband is Going to Die
I Don't Like Being a Stay-at-Home Mom
I Have a Family, But I'm Lonely
I Lie and Say I'm "Working" to Avoid Playing
I Let My Son Fall Asleep to DVDs
I Don't Shield My Kids' Eyes from Nudity
I Use Housecleaning to Avoid Playing With My Kids
I Don't Set Up Play Dates for My Kids
I Wish I Had a Fulfilling Career Outside the Home
I Use My Kid's Flushable Toilet Wipes
I'm Going to Disney Without My Children
I Hate Reading Children's Books
I Let My Toddler Play Outside Alone
I Turn My Kids Over to A Mom I Just Met
My Toddler Wears Crude T-Shirts
I Let My Toddlers Climb Play Equipment Unassisted
My Kids Go to Sleep After Midnight
I Let My Toddlers Go Naked in Public
I Paid $22 for My Son's Haircut
My Toddlers Eat Pizza for Breakfast
I Leave My Toddler Alone in the Bath
Our Children Aren't Invited to Our Wedding
I'm on Vacation, But My Kid Is Still Going to Day Care
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
KStew Refuses to Shower
This Hot Dad Wants to Cook You Dinner
This Hot Dad Cooks AND Does the Dishes
Comments 59
I think people are WAYY to uptight! haha
I don'tdo it at my house because our parking spaces are behind our house and there is really nowhere to just sit and watch, plus the weather here is very extreme (105 in the summer, -10 in the winter) but at my moms house her driveway is right next to the front porch, so when we go visit her in WA the kids are already on messed up sleep schedules and I'll take any sleep I can get. We leave the AC on, open the windows, and sit on the porch reading a book until they wake up. We;re within ARMS REACH from them.. I really don't see what the big deal is.
I would NEVER let my kids just stay in the car. I don't care how safe of a neighborhood you live in, I just find this completely disturbing to know that a mother would do this. We live on a military base so we're as safe as safe can get, but I have never just gotten home and left my kids in the car sleeping. My daughter almost always falls asleep in the car, but I take her out and put her in her room. If you live in such a safe neighborhood why would your car be safer for your kids to sleep than your house??? I think this is a pure sign of laziness and it's like your treating your kids like your pet. Leaving your kids sleeping in the car should be considered child abuse. It's considered child abuse when you go to the store and leave your kids in the car, even if you're only inside for a few minutes so how is this any different?
i just wake my kids up. sometimes if my DD is super tired we put her in her crib and she goes right back to sleep. i would never leave my kids asleep in the car by themselves!
I lived on a rural 150 acre farm when my son was small. He was a very light sleeper, and if he fell asleep on the way home he would not go back downfor his nap in the house, so I would park the car in the shade with the windows down and work outside while he slept instead of waking him up. When he woke up I took him out. What is the difference between having your child outside with you in a pack-n-play or swing, and having them nearby in the car???? None that I can see.
NO NO NO!!!!!
Just bring them inside. If they are that tired they will fall back asleep if disturbed. Leaving them in the car is irresponsible and lazy. Even if the car wasn't stolen, they could choke etc and you wouldn't even know.
You live in a quaint tiny town with only two stoplights... but that one creep is out there searching for that perfect place where no one would expect anything to happen, and your children are bait for just that. In just that amount of time before you go back out there to check up on everything, something horrible could happen in the blink of an eye.
I understand not wanting to wake them up, but I would rather have a cranky child, than a missing one.
I cannot believe that noone has asked what it is that's just so terrible about just waking the kids up and taking them in the house! If they're still tired, they'll go back to sleep, and if they're little bodies aren't tired enough to sleep, then my gosh!......does everyone dislike being with their children THAT MUCH? To the point that you will sit outside in a car in front of your house to prevent the kids from waking up and God forbid...having to take care of them....or play with them.....or just be with them? I just don't get it, I guess, cause I sometimes couldn't wait for my child to wake up! I never dreaded him waking up, nor the time I spent with him! And no...I wasn't a stay at home mom who had a maid and a husband who brought home big bacon! I was a single mom enrolled in college full time, and had a babysitting job keeping a child in my home...AND I was very involved in my church. And I remember those years as being my happiest .
My grandparents do this with my son is the spring/fall. My pap will sit on the porch where he can see him, and not move for anything. As soon as my son wakes up they go down and get him. I don't see anything wrong with this, seeing as my grandfather is RIGHT THERE, and they have a private driveway they'd see anyone coming near him with.