People assume that with this many children, forgetting a child somewhere happens. It DOESN”T. We never have.
When I go places I am constantly counting and recounting the entire time in my head. I have a little system that I have worked out as far as how I keep them together, it also depends on the kids and their personalities. Some kids do good holding hands, some can be carried and some in crowded places HAVE to be buckled into a stroller. I am sure some you have some of THOSE kind of kids!
If are going to a very large and crowded place, such as the Zoo, rodeo, or concert type of thing I try and dress the kids in the same color, that way it is easier for me to spot them. My kids have always been very good at staying with us, they are not the kind that run off. I have a child that is a little bit if a wanderer, also just easily distracted, but she is really slow so even when she was little she never got far 🙂
I drive my husband and myself crazy with my “safety” talks I give the kids.
“Now kids, if you get lost, this is where we will meet.”
“You will hold hands with you, and YOU will sit HERE, STAY TOGETHER!”
Last night we went to a Trunk or Treat at our church, this is where you decorate the “trunk” of your car and the kids walk through the parking lot getting candy. The weather was gorgeous, we were having a great time. It was time to go and we were some of the last there, the kids were all piling in the car. The oldest had already left and gone to a party…
This is another story!! My oldest went to a party at a girls house!! When did I get this old!!
I did a quick glance into the back and asked if everyone was there? Duh, everyone who WAS answered! I felt like something was wrong and looked again and asked if the 4 year old was there? She was so we left. Something just did not feel right, so about 6 blocks away I asked again, trying to look in the dark. My oldest wasn’t there so the kids were sitting in different spots than usual so I thought that was throwing me off. I still didn’t feel right so I started calling off names. My husband could tell I was getting a little worked up and turned off the radio, I called the 2 year olds name. He didn’t answer, I started yelling at the kids, “Where is ___!!!”
Before they could answer, my husband swerved into the ditch on the side of the road and started to do a U-Turn! We had friends following us home, they pulled up along side of us and asked what happened. My husband started to tell them we were missing the 2 year old when all the kids at once were trying to yell at us that he was in the friends car!!
Apparently, our friends had grabbed him, told our kids that they had him, assumed we saw they had him and took off after us. My kids were so involved in their candy they really weren’t paying attention to me when I was asking.
Thats it, my BIG story. But let me tell you, I have never been so sick to my stomach. I don’t ever want to feel that way again, it was horrible. The thing is that I knew something was wrong. It was the “women’s intuition” or Mom thing that just kept telling me to keep checking, I should have just done it in the parking lot before we left!
Have you ever left a kid before, or been left when you were little?
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Anything that can be destroyed WILL be destroyed!
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The resident Labradoodle, Miller got his name because Mom won and got to name the baby! Need something chewed up? He'll take care of it. Especially if it's expensive..
I have never left a child behind before but my son ran away at Walmart once. He wanted an apple. There is no worse feeling in the world that not knowing where your kid is.
I can totally relate to the counting thing. We have four and my best friend has four. We travel in a pack of 12 pretty much wherever we go!
omg.. I havent even read this yet and I think I just wet my pant laughing!!!!
YEAHHH I certainly need to change clothes now! LOL. Big Hugs! Your terrorizing moment was hysterical to me! Don’t worry, you will laugh about it in a week or two, if you arent now.
I was about ten when my youngest sister was born. In the morning we’d carpool to school, my second sister and I, two neighborhood boys, and the baby to daycare. One day we were doing everything as usual, running late (as usual), and suddenly my mom brings the car to a halt in the middle of the street and yells “WHERE’S THE BABY?” She’d spaced out and forgotten that we’d already dropped her off at daycare. It was a funny moment that we still quote now that the “baby” is 18.
we had to go to soccer in 2 different cars and the driver of the second car didn’t get the message that our 2nd dd was to be with her. She thought she was with me since she is usually my shadow but thsi day she slept in so she was to be group 2 leaving for the game. So it wasn’t technically me that left her behind but i do blame myself for not communicating clearly that she was to go with the second group.
whenever you have 2 cars going places thats when you mess up. I have heard others say the same thing. Its the double cars that confuse ppl…lol! Don’t beat yourself up.
I am the youngest of 8,so I was left more than once! I was lost t Disneyland for 2 hours, which was by far the scariest for my mom! She also left me in the car in the dark garage once when I was 2 after church for a half an hour. Once at a gas station for about 15 minutes in a tiny town. We laugh at it now… I do know how you feel though. I lost Aden for about 2 minutes at Target. They called a code yellow and the whole store went on lockdown. Scary
When I lived in California I either walked with a group of friends or drove to get my oldest from school…my husband was usually home and watched my then 4 yr old (15 now) while I went. On one particular day I took her with me, she ran off to play on the playground stuff while I waited and chatted with other mom’s waiting. The bell rang and my son came out and we walked home. As soon as I was about to open the front door I realized I had forgotten my daughter at the playground. I was in panic mode….I practically ran back up the hill (a rather steep one) to get her. I looked across the street on my way up and here she was walking with a big group of parents and kids down the hill…I don’t think they even knew she was a tag along with their group….to this day, she will never let me live it down!!! 🙂
I lost my 2 year old in Walmart about a month ago. It was horrifying. He started running off and my husband went after him and he zig zagged and we lost him. They had to call a code adam on him and people were running everywhere looking for him. They found him in the sippy cups and he took off again. I took off running and caught him and he thought it was the funniest thing ever. sigh
I haven’t been back to walmart with both the kids since.
Lost my oldest at Disneyworld for about 15 minutes once. A very lonnng 15 minutes! He was 7 at the time and was so panicked he couldn’t remember our cell numbers. Since then, whenever we go somewhere with crowds of people I write my cell number on a paper and slip it in all their pockets! He knew to stay in one spot but a helpful mom talked him into going to look for us in the last place he thought we were going!
I don’t have kids yet, but I nanny and babysit.
I’ve really WANTED to leave kids places though.. my biggest worry is that because they know their parents cell phone numbers they won’t stay lost! 😉
Mom and dad left me at the church for over an hour once, I think I was 6 or 7.
We were on a road trip from Houston to Gulf Shores, Alabama with our cat, dog and three kids when we made a rest stop in Louisiana. Our 10 year old was asleep in the van when we stopped. The rest of us piled out of the vehicle to use the rest room and we left the 10 year old in the van asleep. After a relatively short while, we all piled back in to the van and proceeded to exit the rest area when my husband “happened” to look in the rear view mirror and noticed our son running frantically behind the vehicle. We stopped in such a panic and were frantic that such an occurrence could ever happen!!! Fast forward 25 years — The years have gone by but the” kid’s” favorite story is when Rob got “left behind.”