Logic behind parent and child parking spaces?

I can understand that parents with prams may need more room at the side of the car to get the baby in and out.
But WHY do parents with children who are able to walk use these spaces?
Surely with the number of overweight children nowadays it would make more sense to have them walking further rather than encouraging their (and their parents) laziness.
Does anyone disagree?

I have obviously hit a nerve with some people. For the record I am not overweight or lazy, and I like kids. I believe it is the adults who are to blame.

Parent and child parking is only meant for babies and toddlers...the people that use it with older children are being lazy and denying new parents the parking spaces...Its the adults that cause their children to be over weight !!

i know what u mean it winds me up when i have 2 park miles away and you see some1 get out of there car with a kid thats like 10 they should only be allowed for little ones.

errrrrrrrrrr its 2 prevent children from havin 2 walk so far btween other cars 2 prevent em gettin run over if u av 3 kids u only av 2 hands so u cant hold em all all the time

Keep 'em away from me - that's what I say

Selfish and lazy the lot of them

When are we going to see 'Parking For Nice Cars Only - No Heaps of Sh*t' eh?

Use to agree until I met my current girlfriend who has a 6 year old child. Obviously she can walk but still needs to open the door fully to swing her legs out. Also if there isn't the room their arms aren't long enough to hold the door open while stopping it hitting the car nextdoor.

Good point dude. I think you have encapsulated the whole problem ~ people are overweight because they do not burn off enough fat. This is shown by the inactivity and laziness of today's "dollops".

My observations of this have been grossly overwieght parents who are too lazy to walk the extra 2 car spaces in the parking lot!

OH MAN! I've never seen a parent do that! I'm my area all spaces are marked "parents of newborns". If you have an older child and not a newborn you'll get towed or ticketed.

At grocery stores these parking spots are usually located near the shopping cart area. As a parent, I find this incredibly helpful and not for the 'lazy' reason. But for the safety reason. After I have loaded my child and items into my vehicle, it is safer to bring the card two feet than over two parking spaces. Don't you remember the story about the mid-west Walmart near-abduction? Someone tried to snatch a child right out of the car while the parent was bringing the cart back. I only use the spot if I know I'm going to be using a cart. Parents with older children should not be using these spots.

There is no logic, They are all mad the people who designs the car parks. I agree with disabled places but there are quite a few of those who jump out of there car or large four wheel drive & they don't look disabled to me

well said!!

Perhaps you don't have children. When my kids open doors they do not do it gently. Also children that can walk still have to be strapped into a car seat. If you try to do this with not a lot of space you will end up scratching the car next to you.

No you got it al; wrong its more like my kids like to open the door until it is fully open, so if i dont have a wider space the car next to me will lose lots of paint or get dented as car manufactures dont bother fitting the bump strips down doors now.

Could not agree with you more. I go to a gym and everyone parks in the child places because its nearer the gym,huh, whats that all about then ?

Get a grip! I have 2 children and trying to get them out of their car seats alone is a task!
The parent and child spaces have more room to open your passenger doors which is essential when you have kids in car seats!
Are you asking this question because you yourself are overweight and lazy and want to be as near as possible to the supermarket door?
If you do not wan't your car scratched by parents trying to get their babies out then respect 'the zone'.

I agree with them in one respect especially when the kids are young and if like mine have a habit of opening the door as wide as they can, so if the car is parked in a normal space, you end up with scratched cars on either side!!!

I agree, it should only be used by parents who have children in buggies or prams. I can understand why they would want the space to move a child in and out of a car park safely, but kids that can climb in and out on their own and walk, get moving.

And kids at a supermarket should be banned unless they can be kept under control.

These people who use these spaces are the same ones who park in disabled spaces when they aren't disabled. It's pure ignorance.......I think these people should get a parking ticket even at the supermarket!

I can see where you're coming from. I guess there are two reasons why those spaces are reserved for parents with children.
Firstly, children under the age of about 5 need specialised child seats in the car which are high sided and require you to open the door fully to extract the child.
Secondly, these spaces tend to be closer to the storefront, and therefore there is less risk of a young child being run over between the car and the door of the shop.

So in answer to your question, maybe the spaces should be reserved for parents with children under 5?

I wonder, though, which axe you are grinding? Do you hate children? Wish you had them but don't/can't? Are you too lazy to park further away and jealous of those space users? Are you disabled - if so, get a disabled sticker and use the disabled bays. If not, walk the extra 20 yards and get over it.

One thing is clear: you don't have kids, so before you curse those of us who are blessed (!!!???!!) enough to have a couple of toddlers, take a moment to think about what it must be like to have to take responsibility for someone other than yourself.

i think its also cos it can be a nightmare with a small child and lots of bags . . . also imagine trying to negotiate a carpark like that too . . .

I completely disagree. Have you walked through many parking lots lately? People drive like maniacs. Have you ever walked through with a child? They try to run ahead of parents sometimes, or cars backing out or spaces don't see little ones. I agree there is laziness epidemic but in parking lots, at least for me, it's a safety issue.

I totally disagree. I have a 3 year and it is very helpful to be able to park close to the shop, because like most 3 year olds, he does not have a sense of danger and can just run off into the busy road before you have the chance to get hold of him. What dose piss me off is that fact that there are so many disabled spaces in car parks and very few mother and baby spaces.
As for you saying that we are lazy and over weight for parking in these spaces i find you very rude and judgemental, my family is not over weight in fact we are very healthy and fit, just because we park there dose not mean we are fat!!!!!

If you'd ever tried to get the shopping into a car, and at the same time get two lively under-4s into their car seats, you'd understand and be more sympathetic. Be thankful that you have two lovely legs to walk to the shop with, and stop picking on parents. Yes, childhood obesity is a problem, but I don't think that the 10meter walk to the supermarket is the solution - it's what the parents buy in the shop that's the problem!

And if you're talking about laziness what about the able bodied people and those without children who park their vehicles in spaces reserved for disabled and parent/child parking? Those are the kind of people you should be having a go at.

You need space to get the kids into their car seats and to do up their seat belts. I think it is quite acceptable for parents with kids of pre-school age. Also of course there is the safety factor of it as well.

It does annoy me to see parents with older kids to use these spaces.

i personally think they are excellent! When i go shopping with my mum we park there! she's 55 and im 26! but im still her child! excellent logic!

No. Do you actually have children? I suspect not. In which case, you will have never tried carrying a heavy load of shopping and - at the same time - ensuring your kids don't get run over in a busy supermarket car park. I'm sure it annoys a few (childless) people but it does make sense.

I agree with you to a certain extent. Parents with older children do not need to use these spaces. However, as the mother of a 2 yr old, I find these spaces great. I do not want to attempt to weave my way through rows of parked cars while carrying several bags of shopping and a toddler. he doesnt have any road sense at this age and I think, until he learns this (we are teaching him), the closer I can park to the door of the shop, the better.

You have hit the nail on the head!

It is a new Government Scientific approach to health, whereby all mothers and their children should be fat as house ends.
Having a litter of kids with over-hanging bellies, fat-connecting thighs, big fat wobbly bottoms and little piggy eyes peering out through fat-laden cheeks is a standing in society. It is that level of society we call "fat and lazy".

<sounds like someone who's never had a child or even like them, can yet comment on what it's like to be a parent or carer>. Yea i do. Children are unpredictible at the best of times. If 5 yr old opened the door and it dented yours, you'd wished i'd parked in the mother & child bay. Also if you have more than one child, it is impossible to get both children out at the same time, so the practice is, to get the older one out first who can stand next to the car whilst you get the other out.
Does you opinion stretch to the disabled bay? Don't tell me you've never parked in a disabled bay when you needed to pop in somewhere quickly? <TUT>. Maybe if the disabled people don't use wheel chairs, maybe they should park further away too. Surely it would make more sense to have them walking further rather than encouraging their laziness?!!?!!?!!

I agree with your point but as parent I appreciate the extra space needed for door to opened that bit further, not just for kids getting in and out but also for needing the door opened wide for me to be able to stand and strap the youngest into car seat. Also in the bad weather, it is good having parking handy with the doors and not ending up with 3 drenched children.

My kids are not overweight or unhealthy, but I really do appreciate the chance to park closer.

What does annoy me is the shoppers with NO children that use up the spaces. Now THEY are the lazy ones!

I know what you mean