Lost my dd at the park!

[Cantsleeppast3am]

Big fun fair and artificial beach, turn my back for a SECOND and she was gone! Disbelief at first, then real panic took over. She's 3.
Took about 5 minutes to find her, she'd wandered off.
We're supposed to be going to Bournemouth just me and her in a few weeks and now I don't won't to go.
I'm going to need a big drink tonight!

My brother was once "lost" for ages in a carpet showroom - he got into a roll of carpet and stayed hidden whilst the entire family was frantically looking for him.
He did that sort of thing a lot, drove us all potty. He was never upset as he wasn't lost as far as he was concerned. My poor Mother.

Ugh it makes my heart stop when they do stuff like that, even now they're 6 and 10. Dd was a runner and the number of times it almost ran through my head to call the police when she'd run off somewhere I'm all for reigns now!

The staff were no help. It's one of them rip off events where they make plenty, they could at least have someone in charge!
My dd is very independent, I don't think she was in the least bothered by it.

But yes, florescent clothing can be a big help.

I dressed 2 y.o. DS in head to toe psychedelic yellow at a very dark and gloomy soft play in a converted church. he looked ridiculous. and I still lost him. To be fair, he was in the last place I thought he would be - sitting quietly under our table drinking his drink - while I was charging round like a loon in the bloody ball pit.

Buddyelf, have you told your daughter to stop scaring you and being mean ? I

Reins are a fab idea.

I give my kids a whistle on busy days out. If they get lost they are to stand still and blow the whistle repeatedly.
My Mum used to do it for me, I can remember standing in the middle of Gateways blowing hell out of my whistle!

1)Take a photo of her every morning of your holiday before you leave.
2) Get a a wristband with your phone number on it www.amazon.co.uk/nuosen-Emergency-Wristband-Waterproof-Multicolor/dp/B07GVKNX11/ref=sr_1_3?s=gateway&crid=N496JY9NPDTE&keywords=phone+number+wristbands&sprefix=phone+nymber+wrist%2Caps%2C139&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1563894031&sr=8-3

I lost DD2 at the same age at Drayton Manor. Had to interrupt the rather cross woman in customer services who told me 'I'd better have a good excuse for asking to jump ahead.' She swiftly agreed it was a good excuse. Security found DD2 and I bumped into them on the way to look for her near the carousel. They knew I was her mother we look alike because apparently we either come in terrified and weepy mode, or in fucking-furious and murderous. I was the latter.

I had 'the reins of shame' in my bag. Yes they were known as that. She wore them the rest of the day. It's still a joke now (She's 8) that I could crochet up a set of reins in five minutes if anyone wanders.

I lost my toddler when he wandered off in a toy shop. The staff didn't help and walked off when I said I'd lost my son. Another time he was walking with us and didn't notice we'd turned into a women's clothes shop. I abandoned my older two with the check out women who were marvellous and eventually found him with the security guard. No one helped as I frantically called his name . I think he was only four and he never spoke for the rest of the day. I ate a lot of chocolate.

@MmmBlowholes
"Legend has it if you say "reins" 3 times, smartplay appears to tell you you're a shit parent."

My two luckily never did this, but on holiday in Germany I saw a boy around 10 years old SCREECHING for his Mama. The sheer terror and panic in his voice and body language as he charged around looking for her was absolutely heartbreaking. I don't really speak German but some locals stepped in and stopped him so they could help.

I used to use reins, I wish I'd thought of writing on the DC's with a sharpie. Ds was a bolter, reins didn't actually stop him trying. I swear I still have one arm longer than the other.

Oh OP, how awful for you.
My DH almost lost 3yr old DS as he bolted out of a 'locked' playground. Unfortunately, there was a fast flowing river a few feet away and DS decided to run alongside it for a few hundred metres. DH is a crap runner and was frantically shouting at DS to stop, terrified he'd fall into the river as DH couldn't swim. Once he'd caught him, he was then terrified I'd turn up to see the whole spectacle.
Luckily for DH, I came back about 5 mins later to see DS happily playing on a slide back in the playground.
I only found out about the incident about 5 years later when DH mentioned it to our friends having forgotten that he'd never actually told me.

I used to dress my DCs in vile neon tshirts if we were going somewhere super busy.

Order some wristbands which you can write your mobile on - we had them when kids were small

Rent a beach hut and that way you can keep your belongings in one place and your focus on her rather than your stuff. You can also get windbreakers - that tends to help kids stay in one place.

When mine were tiny I also dressed them in the brightest t shirt/top I could find for days out.

@SunshineCake she’s not being mean she’s just moving around and doesn’t mean to frighten me. She’s just having a look around which at 8 is fine to do. She just happens to get in my blind spot!

I lost my 4 year old in the town centre. She's 16 now and remembers the whole thing, but between us we're still not entirely sure what happened! One minute she was with me, the next she wasn't there. I searched for what felt like a lifetime (probably less than 10 minutes) then called the police. She was found several shops away by a security guard after the put a call out over the town radio link. Probably gone for 20 minutes, longest 20 minutes if my life.

Backpack reins don't need "dressing up" but they are easier to hold for you and more comfortable for the child. The straighforward chest reins tend not to come in large enough sizes for a big preschooler.

I was anti-reins not because I thought they were evil but because I didn't think they would work (we had a bolter, thankfully he has matured)

DS2 has always been a sprinter. His MO was looping around an aisle which wasn't usually too concerning as he was reasonably predictable. I used reins/ backpacks a lot, and they were a good incentive to behave or I'd attach him to the seat in the trolley with them.

Then there was the day shortly before turning 4 when he bolted in a busy Costco out of the blue. I'm usually pretty cool, but when he was unaccounted for after a minute that panic feeling began rising. They did a store shutdown at about the point that the reciept/ entry guy nabbed him. I think he scared himself that time as he never did it again.

We were going to London the following weekend. Both DCs had the backpacks on the whole time. Although DS2 was 6 and sensible, my main concern was just that it's a much busier environment than he is used to and could get swept away in the crowds. Slightly over cautious, but one month later it was the Westminster Bridge attack then three months later London Bridge... we spent a lot of time hanging around those areas, and were eating out at Borough Market.

I lost my non verbal (Makaton only) LD Ds from home! I was working in the kitchen (one door to the front garden out of it and the cleaner was in the utility room (other door to outside) dd1 came down to say she couldn't find her brother so I said to go look upstairs - he had a habit of crawling in places to sleep. I swore he hadn't gone past me and the cleaner swore the same. 10 mins later I knew he wasn't in the house!! Searched the garden and started frantically running round the farmyard checking watertroughs, cattle pens, hay barn etc - no sign. Ran down our lane into the village screaming his name - no sign. Phoned my husband panicking who said call the police. Neighbour heard me and set off down the village. I was checking gardens while ringing 999 when she appeared with him round the corner. The gardener of a house half mile from us had spotted him walking past on the road! I have never been so terrified in all my life - police were fantastic - they did come out to do a welfare check but were happy. It turns out he was going to find his big brother who had gone to play with a neighbours boy but he had turns right at the bottom of the lane instead of left like his brother. I never want to go through that fear ever again. Still can't believe he got as far as he did and it was the longest 40 ,minutes of my life.

Don't be too hard on yourself - it happens, shes home and safe

Forgot to say he was 3 at the time - he's now managed to make it all the way to 12 😊

Big drink for you tonight, OP!

It's an awful feeling

I lost DS at a similar age in a big department store, I told him he could press the button for the lift but he ran over and pressed it before I could catch him, I caught up with him as the lift doors were closing and the lift went up 😬

You've never seen a shop assistant run up an escalator as fast in your life!

But he wasn't there....

After 5 minutes (lifetime) of searching, the shop in lockdown and security looking on the cameras for him he appeared from behind the clothes rail BESIDE THE LIFT.

Apparently he thought it would be fun to hide.....