Have you ever lost your kid?

[fastfredracing]

Holy cow , this has to be the scariest feeling in the world. I have been bringing my kid up to the shop to hang out with me on the weekends, he loves it here, and there is all kinds of stuff for him to tinker with.
We got here early on Sunday, was a nice day out, so I had the door open. I was moving some stuff around in the back garage, and he was playing right out front . 10 minutes later , I look out front, no kid. I call his name, no answer. I look all over the property , no kid, now I am panicking. There is a playground at the church right behind me, and I sort of figured he went there. I shoot over there, and sure enough I find him hanging out with some teenagers. They said he walked right up, said " hi" and jumped on the swings. He was only missing for about 10 minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. We had a long talk about asking for permission, or letting me know if he is going to be out of my sight.
The whole time I am freaking out trying to find him, I am trying to figure out how to tell my lady " Honey, I lost the kid"

[Jeff Higgins]

My oldest, in a JC Penny department store when he was about three. Security locked the store down - iron gates to the mall side entrance and everything. The little bastard was playing "hide and seek", and hiding inside one of those round clothes racks. Damn near killed him after I hugged him.

[Burnin' oil]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

My oldest, in a JC Penny department store when he was about three. Security locked the store down - iron gates to the mall side entrance and everything. The little bastard was playing "hide and seek", and hiding inside one of those round clothes racks. Damn near killed him after I hugged him.

Was it a women's clothing rack?

We've left kids behind a few times, but the guilt always kicks in and we go back and get them.

[pwd72s]

I think this has happened to all parents...the real fear. Fortunately, most incidents turn out as yours did...

[billybek]

My two year old (at the time) left the condo we were staying at in Grand Cayman last summer.
I don't remember being so scared.
He was fine and never left the floor we were on but he had wandered as far away as he could.

[pwd72s]

Yep...there is that age where it seems if you take your eye off them for a second...poof!

[cstreit]

Yep. Was washing the truck with my son, he was about 2.5 or 3 at the time. Walked 20' into the garage to grab soap, turned around, he was gone. Walked aroudn the house and the neighbors for a few minutes, then got the wife. No findy.

Alerted neighbors and they're outside. No findy.

Freaking OUT!!!

After about 5-8 minutes which felt like an hour we found him. He had climbed into the truck I was washing, closed the door, and was playing on the floor.

15 grey hair moment.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

My oldest, in a JC Penny department store when he was about three. Security locked the store down - iron gates to the mall side entrance and everything. The little bastard was playing "hide and seek", and hiding inside one of those round clothes racks. Damn near killed him after I hugged him.

Originally Posted by Burnin' oil

Was it a women's clothing rack?

We've left kids behind a few times, but the guilt always kicks in and we go back and get them.

A story my mom loves to tell:

When I was a kid in the late 60's/Early 70's, the clothing racks were perfect forts to play in/out of. Whenever we'd go to the store, the first thing you did was jump into the middle of those circular things.

One day when this was going on, I think I was about 4 and probably at a Target or K-Mart, my mother got annoyed trying to find me. She went to the service desk and asked to use the overhead speakers system. They said that they needed to do it but asked the vital information and where to say to go. The man says through the system "James ______! James _______! Please report immediately to the Garden Department. James _______! Please report immediately to the Garden Department."

I very sheepishly showed up as the garden department and said "God told me to come here."

Hope you find him soon.

[pwd72s]

When I was 4 or so, freaked out the whole town. 1st day of Kindergarten. Told it was sleep time, nap time. I wasn't sleepy, but figured if everybody was sleeping, it must be over. So, I got up, walked home...roughly 4 miles. Couldn't figure out why mom sounded upset...she was on the phone when I got home, hollered: "Oh my God, he just walked in the door." Then the phone calls to the police, the local searchers...

I'd forgotten all about it, but Mom reminded me many years later. This when we were mad at Dee-Dee for going to the neighbors without telling us...

[aways]

Happened to my wife and I several times. With three of them running around it's hard to ride herd every moment. That said, I think a lot of the panic that parents now feel is a product of our age.
Not so much for the younger kids < 6 yrs, but with the "middle age" ones. When I was a kid back in the 60s and 70s, I used to roam the neighborhood at 7-10 yrs old, and my parents could not have had a clue where I was. Same with all other kids. Nowadays, parents completely control the lives of their kids, with play-dates, constant parental supervision, etc. Not sure it's a good development.

[porsche4life]

How many of you didnt tell your wives?

[jyl]

I have not. My wife has, in a crowded airport. 10 women immediately began searching, found him in a few minutes, he'd followed the wrong pair of legs to a couple gates away. Once I was at a popular swimming lake that has a roped off area for kids. Suddenly the life guards ordered everyone out of the water, more life guards came running from the building nearby, they all rushed to one end of the kid zone, joined arms, and began walking through the chest-high water, doing a sweep for a submerged body. Scary. The kid had wandered off and was playing in the grass somewhere.

[wreckersteve]

Yes I have and its the damn scarey.

[cbush]

On the beach in Miami- Our four year old daughter decided to go back to the car to get a toy. We saw her before she got to far, but it scared the heck out of us!

[KevinP73]

My daughter liked to play hide and seek in the clothing racks at dept. stores. Scared the crap out of her mother and I several times before she learned itwas a game we didn't want to play.

[Seahawk]

My Dad used to threaten us, driving in the west, when my sisters and I used to get a little chippy with each other in the back seat, to pull over and let us out: "Desert mysteries", was the term he used. He did actually pull over a few times and stop, in the middle of the middle of nowhere.

A man ahead of his time.

[stomachmonkey]

Summer day at the Central Park Carousel. 2 toddlers and 5 adults. Enclosed picnic area with adults all situated in front if the only gate. I see my daughter playing opposite end, look away for a minute, look back and she is gone.

Determine she is no longer in enclosed area and run to path leading out to park. Throngs of people as far as the eye can see.

It was like scene from a movie. Shear panic.

About 150 ft down the path is a ballon vendor. I see her wander out from between the counters.

Never been so scared.

[MFAFF]

My son walked out of a 'secure' kids play club whilst I arranged payments for the next term; off on his own through central London, bold as brass.
An hour I never ever want to relive.. thoughts that he had been kidnapped as I was assured all the doors and gates were kept closed and no kid could open them....etc etc...

All because having seen me he knew it was time to walk home, so off he went, slipping out of a gate propped open! He was only 4. Found him, glass of juice and biscuit in hand, in the office next to home with not a care in world. He found it interesting that I had arrived home in a police car.. "Have you been naughty Daddy?''

It took a few strong drinks to settle me that night.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Yep...there is that age where it seems if you take your eye off them for a second...poof!

Yup... they buy a Boxster...

Originally Posted by Burnin' oil

Was is a women's clothing rack?

Now that you mention it...

[Amail]

They capture the experience well in Minority Report. It happens so fast.