So I have a bit of a situational question/dilemma/predicament to ask all you mamas out there.
It's cold here. This morning my car thermometer read 28 degrees. But it's November and it's Minnesota so what's new. It is what it is and we deal.
But the real killer isn't the cold. It's leaving the house and all the stuff that goes with you. The hats, the mittens and the big bulky coats. I bet if they ever measured stress levels of moms who live in cold climates they would find that they are at least 50% more stressed out during the winter than moms in warmer climates. And if your lowest temp in a calendar year is 40 degrees, no, you don't count. We Minnesotans would BEG for 40 degrees in January. I'm talking the can't-feel-your-fingers-my-nose-boogers-are-frozen kind of cold.
And then you add a pregnant belly to the mix and, well, now we're talking extreme stress. My back is already breaking just thinking about trying to pick up a bulked-up William, get him in his carseat and trying to get that seatbelt tight enough through all that puff. It sucks. There's no better way to describe it.
So you can imagine how much I dread running errands with William right? And where did I find myself this 28-degree morning? Running errands with William.
My last errand was to the Post Office to drop off an already-stamped package and a yet-to-be stamped package. William was on his last leg of patience and frankly, so was I. It was nearing naptime and he was the definition of a crabbypants.
I was on my cellphone with Brian as I pulled into the Post Office and I was telling him how much I was dreading getting William out of his carseat for a 1-minute task and then back in again.
"So lock the doors and leave him in the car then," he said.
This idea never even entered my mind. You hear stories like this all the time.
But I wasn't going to leave the car running. I was going to lock it, run in, stamp and mail my packages and run out. One minute. Two minutes top. Doors locked.
What would you do?
Well I did it. And I'm still not sure how I feel about it.
Obviously this isn't something that I would ever do if my errand was going to last more than a couple of minutes. And I definitely wouldn't do it if I couldn't see my car from wherever I was going.
I think this is something my parents took for granted when we were children. In the days before they had pay-at-pump gas stations. (Can you imagine?!) But in today's world you really have to stop and think about it. I applaud Brian for being so matter-of-fact about what I should do because in all honesty I was more worried what other people would think of me than I was worried about William's safety.
So what say you? Within the confines of my situation (cold weather, crabby kid, locked doors, 1-minute task, car within view) would you have done it?
It's cold here. This morning my car thermometer read 28 degrees. But it's November and it's Minnesota so what's new. It is what it is and we deal.
But the real killer isn't the cold. It's leaving the house and all the stuff that goes with you. The hats, the mittens and the big bulky coats. I bet if they ever measured stress levels of moms who live in cold climates they would find that they are at least 50% more stressed out during the winter than moms in warmer climates. And if your lowest temp in a calendar year is 40 degrees, no, you don't count. We Minnesotans would BEG for 40 degrees in January. I'm talking the can't-feel-your-fingers-my-nose-boogers-are-frozen kind of cold.
And then you add a pregnant belly to the mix and, well, now we're talking extreme stress. My back is already breaking just thinking about trying to pick up a bulked-up William, get him in his carseat and trying to get that seatbelt tight enough through all that puff. It sucks. There's no better way to describe it.
So you can imagine how much I dread running errands with William right? And where did I find myself this 28-degree morning? Running errands with William.
My last errand was to the Post Office to drop off an already-stamped package and a yet-to-be stamped package. William was on his last leg of patience and frankly, so was I. It was nearing naptime and he was the definition of a crabbypants.
I was on my cellphone with Brian as I pulled into the Post Office and I was telling him how much I was dreading getting William out of his carseat for a 1-minute task and then back in again.
"So lock the doors and leave him in the car then," he said.
This idea never even entered my mind. You hear stories like this all the time.
But I wasn't going to leave the car running. I was going to lock it, run in, stamp and mail my packages and run out. One minute. Two minutes top. Doors locked.
What would you do?
Well I did it. And I'm still not sure how I feel about it.
Obviously this isn't something that I would ever do if my errand was going to last more than a couple of minutes. And I definitely wouldn't do it if I couldn't see my car from wherever I was going.
I think this is something my parents took for granted when we were children. In the days before they had pay-at-pump gas stations. (Can you imagine?!) But in today's world you really have to stop and think about it. I applaud Brian for being so matter-of-fact about what I should do because in all honesty I was more worried what other people would think of me than I was worried about William's safety.
So what say you? Within the confines of my situation (cold weather, crabby kid, locked doors, 1-minute task, car within view) would you have done it?
i love the topic today because i too have many times done the same thing and have felt uneasy/guilty about it...2 minutes tops and i can see the car. dry cleaners, gas, mailboxes....and sometimes the stress of taking a cranky kid into a quick errend which we all know can then take twice as long...or you pull up and baby is sleeping , you can't wake him to run in for 2 minutes...nap ruined. i keep telling myself, that peoples opinions do not matter as long as i know i am doing what is best for my child and am keeping him safe and protected...anyway i hope that helped. ps...many other people do it they just won't admit it...have a great day!
ReplyDeleteI've done this a couple of times, but only when I can see the car, when it is going to take a couple of minutes, and when the temperature in the car will be comfortable without having to leave it running. I also have to trust the area I am in. I can imagine I may do this a little more once number three comes along. I usually do my errands in the evening after the kids go to bed though, so I don't typically have this problem.
ReplyDeleteKati