A kid barely tall enough to see over the steering wheel is probably grounded after taking his mom's car for a joyride.

York Regional Police say a mom ducked into a shop in a Markham strip mall Wednesday to run an errand, leaving her sons, aged 12 & 3 in the car. She also left her keys behind.

The 12-year-old took advantage & took the car for a spin. Duty Inspector Gary Miner tells Newstalk 1010 the kiddie driver didn't get far, circling the lot once, then pulling the car back into its parking spot. No one was hurt & no cars or other property were damaged.

Miner couldn't say how long the mom had been gone for. But in the 12 minutes between a 911 call from a shopper & police arriving at the strip mall, the joyride was over.

The Children's Aid Society has been notified but Miner doesn't expect any charges to be laid.

He says mom & son are both embarrassed at the incident. He says this should be a reminder not to leave your kids or keys in the car.