Being a parent these days has never been harder or easier.
With access to Google, you can search any question day and night, from ‘How long can a toddler go without pooping?’ or ‘When will my child ever sleep through the night?’ in your pj’s watching reruns of ‘Sex and the City.’
However, with this freedom of information at our fingertips comes a constant stream of terrifying news articles and videos of carjackings at petrol stations with babies in the backseat.
Since seeing one of many of these horrific incidents on my social channels (wow, thanks, algorithm!) and my toddler screaming bloody murder when I ran inside to pay, leaving her in the car, I decided I wouldn’t fill my car with petrol without somebody else in the car.
Mom’s genius hack
TikTok/@britttbevan
Back to the internet, which is also great, I came across a TikTok video of a mom sharing a genius hack to how she fills up her car with her little one in their car seat.
Melbourne mom @britttbevan took to her account and shared the smarter way she fills up.
“I’ve never filled up my car with petrol when my two-year-old is in the car with me,” she said.
“If I have no petrol, I will just avoid going out with him because I don’t entirely feel comfortable leaving him in the car when I pay,” she added.
“I discovered the 7/11 app, and oh my goodness, it is a lifesaver. I wish I had found this sooner.
“All you do is download the app, put in your details, and you drive to a 7/11,” she instructed her viewers.
Then you simply “get your phone out when you’re in the car and put in what number pump you’re at, fill up with petrol and [then] you literally just drive off.”
“Get onto this!” she exclaimed at the end of the video.
Come one, come all
After watching the video, I decided to research whether 7/11 was the only petrol station offering this easy solution to prepaying your fuel.
It turns out they all do!
All you need to do is search for your preferred petrol station in your app store. You’ll find the respective app and its prepay function.
“Best hack ever!”
We asked the Kidspot community if they were aware of this game-changing hack.
Those who knew about it love it, and those who didn’t can’t wait to try it.
“I knew it! The best hack ever,” said Sydney woman Elle.
“I hate having to go outside and pay, so much so that I’ll run my car down to like -5km so I don’t have to go.
“But now, it’s so much easier.
“Anything that lowers the barrier to entry to doing something boring is a win in my books (for anything not just petrol).”
Mom of three, Jordan added, “I love this!
“I usually fill up petrol when I have no kids (which is rare, and my car gets very nervous when I do this).
“I don’t want to leave them in the car, but I also don’t want to take them into the servo and be tempted by all the treats. Bring it on!”
Mom of one, Noni, shared, “I did not know, and I am so excited about this because you should never leave your cars in the car ever!”
However, Carla said she loves going inside to treat herself: “Yes, I knew, but I like heading inside to buy coffee and sour worms.”
Can you leave your kids in the car?
According to Drive.com.au, leaving children unattended in cars is strongly discouraged and even illegal in some Australian states and territories.
Most areas consider a child to be anyone under 12 years old.
“While you may think you can get away with leaving your child unattended for only a few minutes, it’s still a serious danger to their safety as your child could be abducted, lock themselves in the car or become distressed or physically unwell,” they informed.
“If someone spots you leaving your child alone in a car, particularly on a hot day, you could face a fine and potential jail time of up to three years,” they added.
So, this app is the perfect solution for giving you peace of mind, convenience, and assurance that you’re not breaking the law, either!
