moms with infant parking - how old is "infant"?

[pixielou]

the grocery store i just started going to has a couple special parking spots for moms with infants. dd is 17 months - so technically not an infant. but she is heavy to carry, and can't be trusted to walk by herself. is dd too old for me to use one of these spots?

~pixie

[NYN]

well, in my neighborhood "infant parking" apparently translates to "anyone ballsy enough to park there, regardless of whether they have kids or not." i swear i can only think of one time that i actually saw someone w/ a child come out of those spots. 90% of the time the cars that are parked there don't even have car seats in the back (oh yes, i check). in 7 months i have never been able to park in those spots.

this is obviously a sore point w/ me. LOL i think you can get away w/ parking there.

[Jenyfer9]

IMO, that's a bit old for "moms w/infants" parking. It would be nice to have spots designated for "moms with at times unruly toddlers and non-walking children", but I don't think that would fit on a sign very well :o

[BooeyJ2]

Technically at 13 months a baby is considered a toddler, not an infant anymore :(

[alienhost]

well, in my neighborhood "infant parking" apparently translates to "anyone ballsy enough to park there, regardless of whether they have kids or not."

LOL! I agree, the last time I walked by the spot (I was w/out DD) someone came back to the car and had no infant, kids or carseat. I wanted to say something but chickened out, mostly b/c I didn't have a child with me at the time (I guess that would have been more impactful).

i swear i can only think of one time that i actually saw someone w/ a child come out of those spots. 90% of the time the cars that are parked there don't even have car seats in the back (oh yes, i check). in 7 months i have never been able to park in those spots.

this is obviously a sore point w/ me. LOL i think you can get away w/ parking there.

ANother time when I was w/ DD and trying to park there an old lady got out of the car. :mad: I guess when you are old you don't have to read.

I have parked there a handful of times. It is handy, if it's available.

[jki]

Park near the cart corral, leave DD in the car, grab the nearest cart and transfer DD directly from the car to the cart. Or get a harness for her.

17 months is WAY too old, IMO, to be using an infant parking spot.

[AlisonCO]

IMO, that's a bit old for "moms w/infants" parking. It would be nice to have spots designated for "moms with at times unruly toddlers and non-walking children", but I don't think that would fit on a sign very well


ITA:):) I guess I think of an infant as under ~12 months or so.

[mamax2]

My grocery store has 2 of these spots, but I hardly ever get them either and yes, I always check to see who's coming/going and they almost NEVER have a child with them! Anyway, IMO, spots that indicate they are for expecting/new moms should be for women who are in the later stages of pregnancy up through babies no older than 1.

[BooeyJ2]

Park near the cart corral, leave DD in the car, grab the nearest cart and transfer DD directly from the car to the cart. Or get a harness for her.

17 months is WAY too old, IMO, to be using an infant parking spot.


I agree. If you are somewhere without carts, how about a stroller?

We always park by the carts or use the stroller (for malls, etc).

[solongtogo]

personally I think 17 mo is too old to be parking there

[kiki61872]

personally, i wouldnt mind the infant spots for anyone with children under the age of 2. anything older than that is pushing it for me.
but then again - 99.9% of the time the people that park in those spots dont even have kids!!!!

[lady1297]

I'd rather someone with a toddler park there than the people without kids, too. I don't use it because I'd rather park near a cart corral, but I'd NEVER think twice about someone using it appropriatly! I have wanted to say something about people using it wrongly, but never have the courage.

[pixielou]

i used one of the spots this morning. i felt guilty - but did it anyway. i've never ever seen anyone using those spots at this store.

i do like to park near the cart corral. but i'm in new england - and it is so darn cold these days that i don't want to put dd in a cart that is freezing cold since it's been sitting outside for hours.

[Sarah]

Honestly I wouldn't care. I think handling a rowdy 17 month old is way harder than an infant. With a tiny baby you have the infant seat or a sling, and they are tiny and easily transportable. I think moms of toddlers need way more special parking than infant moms.

[alienhost]

i used one of the spots this morning. i felt guilty - but did it anyway. i've never ever seen anyone using those spots at this store.

i do like to park near the cart corral. but i'm in new england - and it is so darn cold these days that i don't want to put dd in a cart that is freezing cold since it's been sitting outside for hours.

I wouldn't feel too guilty :D I'd rather that you used the space than some teenager, old lady or other person without a baby.

[Chelsea524]

Our parking spaces in my area say "mothers with small children" so I have no problem parking there with my 18 month old. I wonder if they would care if a father with small children parked there though:p

[Daniel's Kitty]

I never use them, but ds is always in the stroller or a carrier and I need the excersize anyway.
My only wish is that the spaces were a little wider so my car doors would open far enough, so that I didn't feel the need to park at the back of the lot.

[LIZNKEITH]

Ours say "New and Expectant Mothers" so I stopped parking in them when DD moved out of her carrier/car seat at around 6 months. When I was about 8 months pregnant and hormonally charged, I confronted an older couple who were abusing the spot. I walked up to her and congratulated her on her pregnancy (she was probably about 50). She looked at me all confused, so I asked her when she was due. About that time, she realized my motives. I called after her that she wouldn't do that with a handicap spot and shouldn't do it with a Pregnant/Small Child spot. Hell hath no fury like a swollen-ankled, 8 month pregnant woman.;)

[jennylou]

Ours say "New and Expectant Mothers" so I stopped parking in them when DD moved out of her carrier/car seat at around 6 months. When I was about 8 months pregnant and hormonally charged, I confronted an older couple who were abusing the spot. I walked up to her and congratulated her on her pregnancy (she was probably about 50). She looked at me all confused, so I asked her when she was due. About that time, she realized my motives. I called after her that she wouldn't do that with a handicap spot and shouldn't do it with a Pregnant/Small Child spot. Hell hath no fury like a swollen-ankled, 8 month pregnant woman.;)

My DH did something similiar at the mall. We were in the food court and a 50 some year old woman parked in the spot (and I'd just complained about people abusing the spots - I too was at least 8 months along). As she walked past our table, my DH said very loudly (while looking at her), "well, I guess she could be pregnant."

[philnikki]

OMG! I did the same thing to this 60 ish age man who parked there when I was about 9 months preggo. I asked him when he was due? He just gave me this awful look and walked right into the store. Ooooohhh that burned me up!

As far as a 17 mo old, I think that is too old for the *intended* age for the spot.

I think the intent of that sign is to assist new mothers that have to carry their child either in their stomachs or a carrier, or whatever because they physically cannot walk on their own yet. Once your child can physically walk, then you should park in a spot like a regular person.

[jesseybell]

A few weeks ago DH asked me why I didn't park in the Expectant Mother's space at BRU. I just looked at him and told him that in July, when I am 36 weeks and it is 95 degrees outside, I would probably want to chop off the head of someone if they were only 16 weeks and used my spot. I will only use the space when I am further along and when we'll be actually buying a ton of stuff and want to be near the store.