'Lost' him in Tesco ...............

[oxgirl]

Gawd an' bennett, blimey oh riley, etc. etc. I had to laugh, actually.

 

We've got a little Tesco Express across the road and we'd just popped over there. Sent him to get a packet of small, round, sugar-coated, multi-coloured sweeties while I went to other isle to get some juice. The next thing I see is a small grey blur running hysterically round the shop screeching, 'HELP, HELP ME, HEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPP'!! When I finally managed to catch him as he ran blindly past in a, well, blind panic, he was totally puce in the face and in a shocking state. For heavens sake, talk about over-reaction!!

 

He was so totally irrational and panic took over completely so that he couldn't think straight. 'What if I couldn't find you ever' he kept gasping. Anyone elses gets in such a panic? He's nearly 14 for goodness sake!!

 

~ Mel ~

[MichelleW]

Well, j gets extremely upset if at weekends I get up before kids wake up and go into garden to do a bit of weeding. I'm happily pottering away, when I hear screaming. I rush up to the house thinking something bad has happened, and J says to me " I thought I'd lost you!" (OK, my garden is a bit big from a 7 year old's point of view. But I would have thought by now he would have realised if the patio doors were wide open, and I'm not in the house, then I must be in the garden!) He knows I'd never leave him , but he does get irrational - even if I'm in the toilet sometimes! The little one is getting as bad now!

[yoyo]

I was like that as a child and teenager. No one understood why. The panic and fear of being lost or of having lost someone would simply take me over before I could even attempt to stop myself. It still happens at times of pressure and stress and I'm 47!!

 

Yoyo

[Bagpuss]

My lil 'un tends to panic when she can't see me....even stands outside the toilet asking me when I'm coming out

[Bard]

No, never.

I used to observe parents with children clamped to their legs, or walking to heel, with green-eyed envy.

Mine used to trot off, oblivious to where I was. If I couldn't keep up, or got caught behind someone else I was filled with panic at the thought of what might happen.

He would invariably stop when he wanted to tell/show me something, and be incandescent that I was not walking to heel. Not afraid, but cross when I wasn't where he wanted me to be.

The concept of getting lost was alien to him.

If I got 'lost' in the supermarket, we had a deal. I would go to the bakery counter, and if I found him there, we would have a treat for being sensible. It was the furthest place from the doors, and the one place he would stand and gaze hopefully for ages.

No, he never seemed to do it on purpose.

Now he just shouts 'Keep up old lady' or sometimes ' You're not very fit are you?' as he strides ahead.

He's good with traffic, it's Stranger Danger he doesn't get.

[peppa]

No, never.

I used to observe parents with children clamped to their legs, or walking to heel, with green-eyed envy.

Mine used to trot off, oblivious to where I was. If I couldn't keep up, or got caught behind someone else I was filled with panic at the thought of what might happen.

He would invariably stop when he wanted to tell/show me something, and be incandescent that I was not walking to heel. Not afraid, but cross when I wasn't where he wanted me to be.

The concept of getting lost was alien to him.

If I got 'lost' in the supermarket, we had a deal. I would go to the bakery counter, and if I found him there, we would have a treat for being sensible. It was the furthest place from the doors, and the one place he would stand and gaze hopefully for ages.

No, he never seemed to do it on purpose.

Now he just shouts 'Keep up old lady' or sometimes ' You're not very fit are you?' as he strides ahead.

He's good with traffic, it's Stranger Danger he doesn't get.

 

Yep, this sounds like dd, she quite happpily marches off without a backwards glance, i have to keep a very tight grip or she'd be off, seemingly unpreturbed. It does annoy me though if she does break free and people can see i'm obviously chasing desperatley trying to get hold of her, and they just walk in front of you blocking your way, giving dd a chance to get dangerously far from me, you'd think people would have the common sense to move when they see someone chasing a child, especially when she's still only three!

[MichelleW]

I still vividly remember an incident when I was about 18. I saw a toddler with reigns on, running towards a busy road. I just instinctively reached out and grabbed her reigns. The mother came running up seconds later - I wasn't suprised I didn't get a "thank you" - the mother must have been in panic mode. What amazed me though, was the number of people this child had ran past, who just stood and watched!

 

My youngest is a bit strange - he is showing signs of seperation anxiety if I leave him anywhere (apart from nursery), but in shops etc, he will quite happily run off and head for the exit! He also doesn't seem to hear me shouting his name.

[llisa32]

I too am ever envious of parents whose children seem to stay 'put' or are actually bothered about losing sight of their mum or dad!

 

One shopping trip when he was about 5 I was in a clothes shop with my mum and J, one sec we spoke to him the next gone - i ran around like a looney (pretty puffed and red faced one - not too fit ...we were both calling him name and nuthin....

 

I'd just alerted a security guard and they were about to close the exits down when out he came from behind some clothes...he'd been on the floor picking up all those little plastic size tab things you get on clothes hangers.

 

I was soo stresseed (and puffed!) I couldn't even speak let alone tell him off

 

He runs off everywhere and has never been bothered once about losing sight of us - as much as possible I don't take him shopping now unless I know it's just me and him and we're gonna be very quickly in and out for a couple of things

[MichelleW]

J has actually changed a lot over the last 3 years. At one time he would just walk off if he saw something of interest, and he would also be unsresponsive to me calling him. One time I was on the beach with him (heavily pregnant with little one) and he saw a boat in the sea and he made a bee line for it. He was wading through the sea oblivious to me and just kept going - with me frantically trying to chase after him. Unknown to me, though the boat appeared to be far out, it was actually very shallow water! Now he stays really close and is obsessed about losing me.

[smiley]

Mine will run for the hills at every given oppotunity

 

But, if he's (finally!) realised he's lost me, he does have a panic - and then i'll get told off for not being with him!

[shamu]

Another one who has an escape artist I think DS actually checks all the available exits as we arrive and then makes a beeline for them any time my eyes are off him. Add to that the fact he has no concept of danger (and no real stranger awareness esp when it comes to men - I was mortified when he was hugging the plumber and calling him "daddy" a couple of weeks ago, at the moment he gets away with it because he's only 3 and a half but next year......) and I'm the one clinging to him. When we're out and about I use a backpack with reins but wonder what others do for their older children?

 

I sometimes long for him to cling to me but can see how that can be equally difficult!

 

Shamu

[MichelleW]

Yes, a seven year old clinging to your leg is not helpful when you are trying to chase after a 2 and a half year old houdini! I think I prefer the clinging though - it makes walking difficult but at least I know I haven't lost him!