Has anyone genuinely lost their kid in a crowd before?

[markfch]

What I meant is that you lose contact with your kid for a good 15 min, no sight nor sound. This horrible experience happened to me this evening …


I fetched DS from childcare and while waiting for DW to arrive (she was driving today) I tooked out DS’s spelling book to read as I usually do. DS saw he’s classmates and immediately zoomed to that direction. I didn’t bother as I was too engrossed with DS’s work. When I turned around - must have been only a min - DS was no where to be found.

I combed a 20m radius, shouting his name but in vain. I was in a housing estate and line of sight was limited. I was getting :x with DS for the torment he was causing me. I resolved to give him a tight slap once I find him, one that he’ll not forget easily. So far I’ve only smacked his buttocks, and even that is few and far in between. But this time I was boiling mad.

After 5 min, panic overwhelmed anger. I recalled a story I heard about a mother losing her kid in Disneyland and the kid was never found again. If the same thing happens to me, I know that I will not be able to live properly again. I started to pray very earnestly as I always do when I’m in deep trouble. By this time, DW also joined the search party.

After another 10-15 min, we finally found DS crying at a coffeeshop 100m away from our last rendevous pt. He was surrounded by a group of concerned aunties. Incidentally this pt proves that most women have a natural empathy towards small children. Despite seeing my DS’s panic-stricken face, I managed to give him a stern scolding. But I’ve totally forgotten about my earlier resolve to dish out some corporal punishment. I’m just happy to have DS in one piece. For today at least, I no longer cared how well he did for his spelling.

[MMM]

Yes… and till today I can still remember how I felt about the entire incident.


He was 3 yrs old then and it was around 1 month plus after my delivery of my 3rd child. Together with my 4yr old girl and my 3 yr old son, we were at the photo shop at Parkway parade. I was trying to select photos to print when my 3 yr old son suddenly went missing.

Almost went crazy as if you are familiar with parkway parade photo shop, there could be various places that he can walk to (eg. towards cold storage, food court, or out of parkway). I asked the people around if they have a seen a boy wandering by themselves. I remember praying that I find the right direction. Then one lady came and told me that he saw a little boy crossing the junction by him :!: towards the direction of the market. His preschool is there so he should be familiar with that area but he is only 3 yr old. I rushed to that direction but I couldn’t find him. The same lady was very kind and she walked back to find me and we found him at the carpark besides the post office.

He was standing there as he would usually do so when he wait for my father to fetch him after school. That sends shiver down my spine thinking of it as it’s a car park and he is only 3 yr old. I can never forget the anxiety I felt when I lost him and the feeling I felt when I found him. That was like 10-15 mins but it felt forever. He is P2 now but I will make sure I always keep a lookout for them.

Subsequent to that, we also did some test on their reaction from time to time. We teach the youngest that if she is lost, don’t walk around. Stay on the same spot and we will come back to find her. So I think it’s important to teach the children on what to do if they are lost.

[tutormum]

That’s the reason why we should teach our children what to do in situations like this before it actually happens. As soon as DS can understand simple language, they are told to stay where they last saw me when they are lost. I would do a search within the radius. If we got separated in the shopping mall, they are to stay in the mall and not venture outside. If outside, of course they have to stay outside a building and no crossing of road or follow any strangers to look for me. The rule is, I’ll look for them. I’ll also tell them where to wait for me should we get separated. We’ll discuss what we should do like if they call DH and can’t get through, they’ll call me etc. DS3 took the wrong bus on his 1st day of secondary school and ended up in the CBD. He borrowed a phone from a lady (he assessed her first) and called DH to pick him up. The kind lady gave DH directions.

[ZacK]

I pray that this will never happen to DS as I know that I will be devastated :nailbite:


Anyway for DS1 cos my sis lets him play with her mobile so much so that he remembers her mobile contact... Tried so much to ask him to memorise DW or my mobile but to no avail. So I told him, if ever he gets lost while he is out... First thing he should do is to call his aunty, then aunty will call me

[corneyAmber]

I have seen a young grandma losing her 3 year old granddd in a mall before. Very devastating scene n she was crying for help. It was at the same time heart warming to see many people assuring her to help her find her grandchild. Scary to think about it.


Glad that your kid was found.

[tankee]

MMM:

Yes... and till today I can still remember how I felt about the entire incident.


He was 3 yrs old then and it was around 1 month plus after my delivery of my 3rd child. Together with my 4yr old girl and my 3 yr old son, we were at the photo shop at Parkway parade. I was trying to select photos to print when my 3 yr old son suddenly went missing.

Almost went crazy as if you are familiar with parkway parade photo shop, there could be various places that he can walk to (eg. towards cold storage, food court, or out of parkway). I asked the people around if they have a seen a boy wandering by themselves. I remember praying that I find the right direction. Then one lady came and told me that he saw a little boy crossing the junction by him :!: towards the direction of the market. His preschool is there so he should be familiar with that area but he is only 3 yr old. I rushed to that direction but I couldn't find him. The same lady was very kind and she walked back to find me and we found him at the carpark besides the post office.

He was standing there as he would usually do so when he wait for my father to fetch him after school. That sends shiver down my spine thinking of it as it's a car park and he is only 3 yr old. I can never forget the anxiety I felt when I lost him and the feeling I felt when I found him. That was like 10-15 mins but it felt forever. He is P2 now but I will make sure I always keep a lookout for them.

Subsequent to that, we also did some test on their reaction from time to time. We teach the youngest that if she is lost, don't walk around. Stay on the same spot and we will come back to find her. So I think it's important to teach the children on what to do if they are lost.

from parkway to the post office :!: a 3 yr old by himself :!:

glad that he was not hurt.

[wildboys]

I lost my then 3yo DS1 too. It was during one of our regular sessions at the park downstairs. I was busy holding on to my 1yo DS2 hands who was learning to walk. When I looked up again, I couldn’t see DS1. Our park here was huge and I carried my DS2 running all over the place like crazy woman looking for him, and even went back up to my unit to see if he had gone back by himself. But I still couldn’t see him. When I went back down to the park, I saw him playing at one of the playgrounds!!! Never felt so relieved in my life!!! And of course also furious!!! He told me he had went to check out whether the NTUC which was about 250m walk away still have stock for the raisin bread that he wanted me to buy!!! faint Fortunately he didn’t need to cross the road to and fro!!


Since then he had not been lost touchwood!, now that he is 4.5yo, when I told him he can go over to the playground (just 10m away) at the other side of the park to play first while DS2 still wants to play here, he told me no, because what if someone kidnapped him. I said you could shout for help and he replied what if that person covers his mouth?!! He rather stay at the "baby" playground area with me than go over to the more interesting side by himself… hmmm

[tutormum]

DS3 best friend was separated from his mother in a shopping mall when he was about 5. This smart boy went to the information counter and asked the staff to page for his mother who was lost. :salute: :salute: He told his mother that he remembered her telling him that the information counter will assist in locating anybody who is lost in the mall. :rotflmao:

[skunk]

tutormum:

DS3 best friend was separated from his mother in a shopping mall when he was about 5. This smart boy went to the information counter and asked the staff to page for his mother who was lost. :salute: :salute: He told his mother that he remembered her telling him that the information counter will assist in locating anybody who is lost in the mall. :rotflmao:

HAHAHAHA!!!!!

[kaydenbrown]

I remember losing my son in a middle of London’s commercial district during the peak hours…


I spent only 5 minutes and I spotted him wandering into one of the large banks and was sitting down and watching TV inside… So lucky… because there was a spate of kidnappings occuring in london during that time.