My child was lost for a time today!

Voltex

Every parents nightmare...i took my eyes of my 3 yo son for a split second this morning and he was gone.
He usually doesnt go far...maybe to the end of the aisles...but always keeps us in sight...so immediatly i thought he had turned the top of the aisle. So i wandered up and down calling his name...but the longer i couldnt find him..the more I became agitated....
So after maybe a minute or two I had asked the shop staff to help me look for him....and they got security looking also. Thw whole lot os us were calling his name...looking outside the front of the shop for him...yet couldnt see sight nor sound....I have to say..it was at this point I got the worst..sick feeling in my guts...I was absolutly frwaking out in my head...but trying to remain calm cause I knew I just wanted people looking for him...not trying to reassure me!!!

Anyway after what seemed like an eternity..I could hear him screaming crying out in the shopping centre...so I ran out and there he was being chased by a young lady. The was working in the shop a few doors up and saw this little fella stroll in and knew straight away something was wrong...so was trying to hold onto him untill she could get security...but somehow he managed to get away...and ran back to the shop I was in.

I say..he was missing for no more than 5-7 minutes...but guys...it was the most scary couple of minutes of my life.

I also want to add...that the most ironic part of the whole thing was that as I was going into the shopping centre I noticed that the management have put up large notices advising parents of what to do in the event they lose a child.

aAnyway..it all ended well...but i really would like to say to the lady in H&M who tried to hold on to him...that you really have restored my faith in people...I just wish we had more people like yourself!!! Thank You!!

Chewbacca.

you shouldn't be allowed have kids
Idiot

Voltex

Chewbacca. wrote: »

you shouldn't be allowed have kids
Idiot

you shouldnt be allowed post on boards.

Homer

Chewbacca. wrote: »

you shouldn't be allowed have kids
Idiot

and you shouldnt be allowed near the internet but hey.. :rolleyes:

Dudess

Same thing happened to my mother about 35 years ago in Roches Stores, Henry Street with my bro - can't fathom how horrific it must feel. Still though, I must also mention to her that she's an idiot and "shouldn't be allowed have kids".

Boston

Chewbacca. wrote: »

you shouldn't be allowed have kids
Idiot

Homer wrote: »

and you shouldnt be allowed near the internet but hey.. :rolleyes:

You're both class acts. well done.

January

Happened to my mother years ago too with me. Was in Penneys on Mary Street and I wandered off. My mum ran up to security and they started looking for me. I was happily helping the ladies hang clothes on the racks when they found me!

Chewbacca.

Voltex wrote: »

you shouldnt be allowed post on boards.

Ah ,the terrible parent can't handle the truth.

bad2dabone

dont be such an ass. I got lost while in Dunnes as a young child, probably just wandered away from my mother. it can happen easily.

Bikerbhoy

Chewbacca. wrote: »

you shouldn't be allowed have kids
Idiot

Explain will ya ??????????.

Dying to hear this.....

Gaspode

Kids got briefly lost all the time OP, scary stuff but hardly a sign of bad parenting despite what another poster has said.

brian ireland

Chewbacca. wrote: »

you shouldn't be allowed have kids
Idiot

Chewbacca. wrote: »

Ah ,the terrible parent can't handle the truth.

You can't be serious.


OP glad you got it sorted. We though we lost our son in Ibiza when he was 6. The police spotted us panicking and got the locals to help look for him. He was in the toilet. What a scary few minutes.

Bikerbhoy

Chewbacca. wrote: »

Ah ,the terrible parent can't handle the truth.

Typical response I was kinda expecting off this individual.....shame.. theres always one.

Dudess

Stop giving them what they want...

Mr Bloat

Similar thing happened to me a few months ago. I was in Dunnes with my three year old son and was buying a shirt and pants for work. Took my eyes off him for a second and he disappeared. I tried to stay calm but after a couple of minutes of walking around the racks calling his name, I was just about to call the staff to give me a hand when I heard a sniggering sound coming from beneath a rack of belts. The little maggot had crawled in there to hide from me and was waiting for me to pass by and he planned on jumping out with a loud BOO!
I share your pain, OP. Worst few minutes of my life.

Voltex

The thing that I most took away with me was the knowledge that 99.99% of people are there to help in situations like that....I have to say that having seen so many people helping..so quickly..it nice.

danjo-xx

Chewbacca. wrote: »

We can see you need help,and there I was thinking you might not be a bad parent

get that smile off your face ,Idiot

do one :rolleyes:

MackQ

My brother went missing from a shopping centre when he was about 3. Police spotted him at a roundabout on the outskirts of town about an hour later. He was "heading for his granny's house" but was heading in the wrong direction. He arrived back at the shopping centre in the police the car, waving like a celebrity. Think it put 30 years on my parents.

NauP

Voltex wrote: »

The thing that I most took away with me was the knowledge that 99.99% of people are there to help in situations like that....I have to say that having seen so many people helping..so quickly..it nice.

As someone in the shopping centre industry i would like to say that this is a frequent occurance, in fact, daily. There is a system in many centres called the "Child Safe System". When you enter the centre, you avail of a wrist band on which you write your contact info (mobile) and put on your childs wrist. This makes locating a guardian much easier for the security staff - customer service etc. There are a number of other aspects to the system but i won't bother going into it at the moment as the afternoons rugby celebtations are catching up.............,

embee

Chewbacca banned for one week from Parenting. Please folks, stop feeding the trolls

Little My

A bit of a tangent ... but related I think...

Does anyone use baby reins? Why or why not?

Some discussion from The Times... http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article3374925.ece

Ludo

We used to every so often. If one of us was out with our two 2 year olds who wanted to go their own way then we used them the odd time. They were handy also in places like the zoo. Most of the time they were tucked into their coats though just in case they were needed.

perri winkles

I used to 'go missing' on purpose in shopping centres.

Gave my mum several small heart attacks but used to love when they called my name out over the intercom! :D

I'm a terrible person!

Joey the lips

Kids have a way for for making us look like bad parents. All parents geneally know this. It happens to all of us especially me...

Jesus Wept

My headstrong older sister went missing when she was about very small in Dunnes Stores.
My panicked mother was much relived to hear a voice on the PA System announce: 'Would the missing mother of <Insert childs full name name> please come to the customer service desk immediately'.

Then to the increasing amusement of staff and watchers on, my sister crossly chastised my mother as she arrived at the customer service for 'getting lost mammy, SILLY mammy.'

BennyBlanko

Whilst Chewbacca's approach was poor, maybe the opinion he had needs discussion.
All it takes is 30 Secs of some sicko to make a move on its pray which could have been your child.

Op, do you need to revise the way you shop with your kids in tow? Or do you need to leave your shopping till later when they are in Bed and go shopping then. Like most of the big supermarkets are open 24/7. I like to go shopping at 11pm, with no kids in tow and easy to get everything I want.

This is worth considering doing in the future so you and your kids will not be stressed.

desper8hsewife

night mare is right - happened to me last yr! happens to the best of us - such a shock though!

silverharp

BennyBlanko wrote: »

Whilst Chewbacca's approach was poor, maybe the opinion he had needs discussion.
All it takes is 30 Secs of some sicko to make a move on its pray which could have been your child.

Op, do you need to revise the way you shop with your kids in tow? Or do you need to leave your shopping till later when they are in Bed and go shopping then. Like most of the big supermarkets are open 24/7. I like to go shopping at 11pm, with no kids in tow and easy to get everything I want.

This is worth considering doing in the future so you and your kids will not be stressed.

I think you are buying into the media hype about there being a child abuser behind every lamppost. its got so bad in London that fathers arent allowed into play grounds with their kids.

Everyone needs to be sensible but try weigh the risks rationally. for example when ours our going on play dates, we often have to remind the other mothers to have a car seat for our guy and often they dont.

force eleven

Chewbacca. wrote: »

We can see you need help,and there I was thinking you might not be a bad parent

get that smile off your face ,Idiot

Mr Bacca is an obvious troll. So boringly obvious. :P

Sid_Justice

Glad it worked out well in the end. Especially with the James Bolger case in the news again.

Myself (3) my brother (2) and my other brother (6) were in Disney land (California) 20+ year agos with my parents and my aunt. Myself and my older brother had restrainer leash things but my younger brother who was in the buggy didn't.

Anyway at some point while everyone was looking in a different direction, my brother unbuckled himself from the buggy, and crawled out. Within moments he had been lost in the crowd (hundreds of people) and very short time later a parade came by with mickey and minnie or whatever bisecting the area we were all standing.

As soon as they knew he was missing my parents frantically started looking everywhere. All to no avail. What happened was, he was picked up quite quickly by the patrolling police/security guys whose policy it was to immediately collect 'abandoned' children and bring them to the collection point. Unfortunately this was on the other side of the theme park and all in all, took over an hour for us to be reunited.

At the time, abduction and kidnapping probably was as big a worry then in California as it is in Ireland now. Anyway, just retelling the story because kids frequently do go 'missing' in densely populated areas like shopping centres and theme parks especially when there are so many little nooks and crannys and rows and aisles for them to wander in and out of and get lost. Thank god they are usually followed by their prompt discovery. It's not a reflection on the parenting, it can happen to anyone.

BennyBlanko

Silverharp2 wrote: »

I think you are buying into the media hype about there being a child abuser behind every lamppost.

I think if you are lax like the OP and let your kids out of your sight, paedos (and there's plenty round,everywhere, its not hype) get their chance to do their worst.

Letting kids out of your sight is easy but will not happen when they are @ home. Do the shopping when all these paedo scumbags are not prowling......simple.:rolleyes:

alex73

Kids will be kids, I would say I am a good parent, but the exact same thing happened to me.

parsi

BennyBlanko wrote: »

I think if you are lax like the OP and let your kids out of your sight, paedos (and there's plenty round,everywhere, its not hype) get their chance to do their worst.

Letting kids out of your sight is easy but will not happen when they are @ home. Do the shopping when all these paedo scumbags are not prowling......simple.:rolleyes:

Yet another bloody troll.

cooperguy

BennyBlanko wrote: »

I think if you are lax like the OP and let your kids out of your sight, paedos (and there's plenty round,everywhere, its not hype) get their chance to do their worst.

Letting kids out of your sight is easy but will not happen when they are @ home. Do the shopping when all these paedo scumbags are not prowling......simple.:rolleyes:

It is well documented that the vast majority of abuse is carried out by people known to the child i.e. Family members and friends.

brian ireland

Nice ! BennyBlanko!! not biting this time>

stovelid

I dread it ever happening. It hasn't happened to me although I can see how it might easily come about.

Dudess

BennyBlanko wrote: »

Whilst Chewbacca's approach was poor, maybe the opinion he had needs discussion.

Doubtful it's really his opinion though...

All it takes is 30 Secs of some sicko to make a move on its pray which could have been your child.

I think the concern is more the child running off and nowhere to be found, rather than some sicko snatching them.

Sid_Justice wrote: »

At the time, abduction and kidnapping probably was as big a worry then in California as it is in Ireland now.

I wonder why it's such a concern in Ireland today - I mean, is it happening on a regular basis?

BennyBlanko wrote: »

I think if you are lax like the OP and let your kids out of your sight, paedos (and there's plenty round,everywhere, its not hype) get their chance to do their worst.

Letting kids out of your sight is easy but will not happen when they are @ home. Do the shopping when all these paedo scumbags are not prowling......simple.:rolleyes:

Oh yeah, there's the answer to my question above: scaremongering...

It's not lax parenting either - all it takes is looking away for a split second. My heart goes out to anyone it happens to, even if they find their child in mere seconds - must be terrifying.

BennyBlanko

cooperguy wrote: »

It is well documented that the vast majority of abuse is carried out by people known to the child i.e. Family members and friends.

Yes, true.
But we're not referring to that kind of scum preditor. Its the one's who cruze looking for distraught kids, in public places.
And NO, I'm not a troll. Its not fair being called a troll the minute you offer a new perspective, or if you go against the grain of the expected or desired supportive opinion. The OP came on here looking for support it seems for what happened to them and let me be clear, what happened to them was horrible. But it was lax and unfortunate. Luckily they got the kid back, safe and sound. I'm glad of that.

Dudess

You're aware of many such stories are you? Actual real ones I mean?

BennyBlanko

Dudess wrote: »

You're aware of many such stories are you? Actual real ones I mean?

which?
come, try and make me out to be a troll like the others?

Dudess

Children being snatched on a regular basis by paedophiles - that RARELY happens, especially here. You're suspected of being a troll because of such unsubstantiated, OTT remarks.

themysteriouson

BennyBlanko wrote: »

Whilst Chewbacca's approach was poor, maybe the opinion he had needs discussion.
All it takes is 30 Secs of some sicko to make a move on its pray which could have been your child.

Op, do you need to revise the way you shop with your kids in tow? Or do you need to leave your shopping till later when they are in Bed and go shopping then. Like most of the big supermarkets are open 24/7. I like to go shopping at 11pm, with no kids in tow and easy to get everything I want.

This is worth considering doing in the future so you and your kids will not be stressed.

It's all well and good saying to go shopping when the kids are asleep but unfortunately there are a lot of single parents who cannot do this realistically. Who minds the child while your shopping?? Unless you have a partner there at home to watch the children that approach wouldnt really be any use.

A good alternative is using a wrist link so that the child doesnt feel the restriction of a full harness and therefore feels a little more comfortable.

BennyBlanko

themysteriouson wrote: »

A good alternative is using a wrist link so that the child doesnt feel the restriction of a full harness and therefore feels a little more comfortable.

Yep, thats a good idea that.

BennyBlanko

Dudess wrote: »

Children being snatched on a regular basis by paedophiles - that RARELY happens, especially here. You're suspected of being a troll because of such unsubstantiated, OTT remarks.

ahhh shure you'll be suspected of feeding this troll soon:rolleyes:
Lots of kids all over the world have been abducted over the years, but you'd like me to list them all for you?
Get real.

BostonB

BennyBlanko wrote: »

I think if you are lax like the OP and let your kids out of your sight, ...Letting kids out of your sight is easy but will not happen when they are @ home. .....:rolleyes:

Its impossible to function and keep your eyes on something 24/7 at home or not. Its like someone saying you have to look 360 when driving. Thats also impossible.

BennyBlanko

themysteriouson wrote: »

A good alternative is using a wrist link so that the child doesnt feel the restriction of a full harness and therefore feels a little more comfortable.

@BostonB, see themysteriouson's idea above which I think is a good solution.
It's all about good parenting and tooling yourself up for the task in hand which is going into public places where you may become seperated with your offspring and not be whinging about it if it all goes wrong (ala the McCanns).
And get real indeed to you sir on your poor driving analagy.

Superbus

My mum still talks about when I was 2 and I toddled away from her in a book shop. After much hyperventilating I was eventually found sitting in one of these babies.

So I can kind of understand the pain of a parent in distress.

BostonB

themysteriouson wrote: »

...A good alternative is using a wrist link so that the child doesnt feel the restriction of a full harness and therefore feels a little more comfortable.

Only lasts a short while before they work out how to escape that one though. Also I'm a bit paranoid about "pulled elbow" but its pretty hard to avoid situations where that might happen. Theres too many of them.

BostonB

BennyBlanko wrote: »

...
It's all about good parenting and tooling yourself up for the task in hand which is going into public places where you may become seperated with your offspring ....

You usually have no warning of knowing when a kid has outgrown a restraint. So tooling up as you call it, is not a guarantee of anything.

Khannie

This thread is starting to do my noodle in a bit. What happened to the OP could happen to anyone (god forbid) so be kind please.

Benny: Your paedos / shop when they're not prowling comment was OTT. Take it easy please.

Everyone else: If you think someone's trolling just report it. We'll be slower to get to it at the weekend, but it'll happen.

Dudess

BennyBlanko wrote: »

Lots of kids all over the world have been abducted over the years

Yes, in extremely impoverished areas of Asia, Africa and South America. It's hardly the typical occurrence in an Irish supermarket, the way you're making things out to be. Maybe don't pay as much heed to the hysteria media? The world has become that bit more difficult for men (e.g. teachers) in terms of how they interact with children, because of such paranoia.

BennyBlanko wrote: »

going into public places where you may become seperated with your offspring and not be whinging about it if it all goes wrong (ala the McCanns).

The McCanns' situation is hardly comparable to a parent momentarily diverting their gaze from their child.