Well, every mother's nightmare! My DD and I went grocery shopping on Friday night, just to pick up a few things. My DD likes to walk ahead of me, but never really out of my sight, but I find myself always saying, "come over here" or "stay with mommy!" So, we were in the produce section, doing our usual "What's this, mom?" and I'd tell her what the veggie is. And in between questions, I turned around to get a plastic bag to put something in, and when I turned around, she was gone! I called her, and she didn't come. I looked for her and she was no where in the produce department. I WAS IN A PANIC!!!! I grabbed a bakery worker and told her I lost my daughter and she alerted management! I wanted to look for her, but I was hysterical and didn't want to leave produce, thinking, she knows where I am, she'll come back! It was the longest ten minutes of my life. A woman found her trying to get out of the store to go for a horsey ride in front of the store (the mechanical horse)! She brought her to the customer service desk!!!!

Needless to say, it was the most horrifying night of my life. She didn't think she did anything wrong until she saw me hysterical! After hugging and kissing her, I started asking "Why did you leave mommy? You can't run away from me!!! EVER!!!" and she started crying and saying "I'm sorry!"

Boy, have we had some talks about leaving mom and dad, and strangers and all the dangers!

By Insaneusmcwife on Monday, October 16, 2006 - 10:08 am:

{{{{hugs}}}} I have BDTD more than once with both of my kids. This last time was on Mother's day, twice in one trip to Walmart. We were at the jewlery counter looking at Mother's rings and my dd wandered off. I was frantic looking for her and the manager had the nerve to tell me that if I can't control my daughter I should put her in the cart. I was fuming mad. I put her in the cart but when we were checking out my ds and I were trying to find a certain candy and left her in the cart with dh. He took her out of the cart and she ran after me. We lost her in the checkouts and the manager again was not so nice to us.

By Reds9298 on Monday, October 16, 2006 - 10:28 am:

OMG! I can only imagine how you must have felt. What a sick feeling! I'm so glad she's alright and was quickly found. A lesson learned for her, but a hard one for you. {{hugs}}

By Tarable on Monday, October 16, 2006 - 10:45 am:

My mom always told me that instead of her keeping up with me that I needed to keep up with her because I had more energy than her. I always did.. I can remember being about 5 and thinking that I had to make sure Mommy didn't get lost. You might try explaining it to her that way. My mom did this after I got away from her at a mall in Dallas and I was found outside trying to find the car because I knew she would have to go back to the car at some point (I was about 3 when this happened). I actually used this to use this with my youngest dd because she liked to venture out on her own too.

By Stace on Monday, October 16, 2006 - 07:56 pm:

Just reading the story made me anxious. I am so glad you found her and that she was ok. I bet that was the longest 10 minutes ever. My son is 31/2 and just started within the past few months walking with me in stores instead of sitting in the cart. It scares me to death at times, because I know it only takes a split second and he could be gone. Hopefully, she understood how scared you were and will think twice before she wanders off again!

By Dawnk777 on Monday, October 16, 2006 - 09:55 pm:

That happened to me twice, with Sarah. Once at the grocery store and once at the mall. I wasn't without her, but a few minutes, both times, but I was more freaked out, at the mall, since there were so many more places to go. It turned out, she was at the card store, by the stuffed animals! Argh! She was 2-1/2 and Emily was a baby.

By Dana on Monday, October 16, 2006 - 09:58 pm:

Chills. I just got home from a workshop for parents on child abduction (and all the bad stuff that goes with it). The same deputy that spoke to the press immediately after the Carly Bru..(can't spell it) abduction was the speaker. During her questions asked at that time, many parents asked "where can we go to get more info about what we can do as a parent" she said there wasn't anything, so she started this. She commented how there are dozens of programs for kids on this stuff but nothing on an adult level. What an eye opener. I came on tonight to post about it. I'm so happy she was found unharmed.