Leaving Kids in the Car for Just a Few Minutes Isn’t Child Abuse

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I recently left my two kids in the car while I dashed into a local bakery. My little one was napping, and I didn’t want to disturb him just to grab a loaf of bread for what would be a quick errand. With the windows cracked open and parked under a shady tree, I felt it was safe. My heart raced not from fear of them getting abducted—after all, they were just a few feet away—but because I worried about being accused of neglect. This anxiety was enough for me to vow not to do it again, even if it meant waking my sleeping toddler for a brief visit to the store.

Fortunately, a recent ruling by New Jersey’s Supreme Court offers a glimmer of hope for parents like me. Columnist and advocate for free-range parenting, Lisa Grayson, described the decision as “a beacon for parents everywhere.” In this case, a mother, identified only as M.T.-P, left her toddler in the car on a mild 55-degree day while she quickly visited a Dollar Store. When she returned, police were waiting, thanks to a call from a security guard, leading to a lengthy legal ordeal. The court’s ruling means she can finally present her case, which had been previously dismissed, and it also protects her from being added to the state’s Child Abuse and Neglect Registry—something that could have severely impacted her future job prospects.

This is certainly a positive development. Many parents, like Sarah Collins, who faced arrest for leaving her child in a cool car for just five minutes, have been swept up in a legal frenzy over minor parenting decisions—even when the actual risk to the child is minimal. It’s crucial to clarify that we’re not discussing cases where kids are left in cars for extended periods or on hot days—those situations are genuinely dangerous and tragic. As Grayson points out, the majority of children who die in hot cars each year are forgotten for hours or accidentally climbed in without anyone noticing. They are not simply waiting in a car while a parent runs a quick errand.

The New Jersey Supreme Court recognized that parents cannot eliminate all risks for their children, and we shouldn’t expect them to. Everyday activities like swimming, buckling kids into the car, or flying carry inherent risks, yet we don’t see the same level of scrutiny. As Professor John Raines from the University of Idaho noted in a recent email, “No one can definitively say which risks are acceptable and which aren’t. We don’t prosecute parents for taking kids in cars, which are statistically far more dangerous than leaving them in a stationary vehicle.”

It’s unfortunate that responsible parents—who see almost no danger in leaving a child in a cool car for a few minutes—find themselves entangled in such legal predicaments. This creates an atmosphere of fear, making parents worry that their choices for their kids’ safety might be judged by others, possibly involving the police or child services. As Raines aptly stated, “It’s easy to critique another parent’s choices, but it becomes terrifying when state intervention is involved.”

I’m relieved for M.T.-P and for Sarah Collins, who managed to navigate their way through these challenges, but they should never have had to face this in the first place. Growing up in the 70s, I often waited in the car while my mom ran errands, and it was completely normal. Today, the notion of good parenting seems to revolve around constant vigilance, which can be stifling for both parents and kids. We should be able to pop into a bakery for a loaf of bread without fearing a call to the authorities.

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In summary, leaving kids in the car for a few minutes isn’t neglect, and recent rulings support this viewpoint. Parents should feel more empowered to make safe, reasonable decisions without the fear of legal repercussions.