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Original poster

My son found a toddler

410 replies

HerRoyalRisesAgain · 08/08/2021 19:24

My 12 year old son went out with his friends around 4.30.

He came home at 6.10, carrying a toddler in just his nappy, already on the phone to the police!
He'd found him wandering around our estate by himself in just a nappy (it's windy and rainy here) He tried to ask him where his mummy or daddy were but the toddler has just grabbed him and clung to his leg, so he's pulled out his phone, dialled 999 then picked up said toddler and brought him home so that he had somewhere warm to wait for the police.

I got a blanket for the little one, and got him warmed up. He was very scared bless him, but receptive to having a cuddle and letting us help him have some water. (My youngest is 6, so no sippy cups)

Police turned up just now with social services and took him with them. Theyre going to try and find his parents and take care of him, have him checked over etc.

The police and the social worker massively praised my son and said he was immensely brave and sensible to do what he did.
He took the officer out and showed him exactly where he had found the toddler and gave as much info as he could about what happened when he found him.

I hope the little one is OK, and glad he's safe with social services now.

I am also immensely proud of my son. He's so amazing. I would have panicked at that age and knocked on the nearest door for help.
Hes just jumped into action straight away and decided to get him warm and safe.

OP posts:
Benjispruce5 · 08/08/2021 22:23

Good lad.

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 08/08/2021 22:24

@HerRoyalRisesAgain

he's a superstar.
I'm not gonna RTFT, your first post is enough.
such a credit to you.
well done sweethearts ❤

hope toddler is gonna be ok & his parents/carers are found soon.

Cattitudes · 08/08/2021 22:27

If he is in scouts then he might be able to get an award for his quick thinking.

Haywirecity · 08/08/2021 22:28

@HerRoyalRisesAgain

My goodness to have that good judgement and social awareness at 12! What an absolute 🌟

I hope you pass onto him how impressive we all find his behaviour to be.

Ninkanink · 08/08/2021 22:29

@Bingbongbash

Knocking on nearby doors as you think you would have done as a 12 year old would have been a better idea than bringing him home!
Given that he had called the police I expect they advised him to take the boy home.

Much safer and more straightforward than knocking on strangers’ doors.

TheBestCandidateByFar · 08/08/2021 22:30

Well done to your son OP

CampAshpit · 08/08/2021 22:31

I find it odd that as a mother the OP wouldn't want to follow up on this... it's like a blaze approach as if finding a lost toddler was a usual Sunday thing...

Have you even read the thread? There's 3 pages of lost and escaping toddlers. What are you pushing for? Get a fucking grip.

wookneecorn · 08/08/2021 22:35

I had an abusive childhood. My mother booted me out the front door as a toddler, and I was crying to be let back in. The neighbour saw what had happened and gave her a good talking to

Martyitsyourkids · 08/08/2021 22:38

Oh that poor baby, so heart breaking 💔

Well done to your son, the little one is fortunate he was found by him. X

INeedNewShoes · 08/08/2021 22:38

I found a toddler hiding in the middle of two clothes racks side by side in John Lewis. You couldn’t see him at all without moving the clothes but I heard him. Just as I discovered him I heard a distressed woman at the other side of the shop talking to staff so gladly it was all resolved easily.

BlowDryRat · 08/08/2021 22:41

Well done to your DS OP.

I lost my own 4yo DS at the park once. Toddler DD feeding the ducks, I was holding onto her and DS just scooted off too far and lost sight of me. We were both circling the lake looking for each other but going in the same direction. After half an hour of frantic searching I called the police. They were brilliant and had officers combing the park in minutes. The relief when they said they'd found him! The police brought him back in a squad car Grin He was scared but also cross because the nice lady at the café had just been about to give him a free ice cream when the police turned up.

ripplestitchblank · 08/08/2021 22:45

@Maddison12 yeah you don't know the half of it. It's extremely, extremely difficult to have children removed.

People would be shocked to see the conditions some children and families live in. Because the cycle of abuse and neglect is so ingrained within these families, it's very difficult to make positive changes with them. The majority just trundle along, social care dipping in and out.

Social care are so stretched that the bar is very high. So much slips through. How there's not more Baby P's is beyond me.

Bicnod · 08/08/2021 22:48

Well done to your son. This definitely happens. I caught hold of a toddler haring down the street with no parent in sight once. Stood with him for a bit asking where his mummy was and then a few minutes later she also came haring down the street wrapped in a towel... He had slipped out of the front door while she was in the shower.

k1233 · 08/08/2021 22:51

I found two little girls walking down the street one day (around 3-4 yo). I used to walk past them in their yard, so grabbed their hands and walked them home. Their mum looked rather furious at me holding on to her kids until I told her I had found them 5 blocks away. She was so lucky nothing bad had happened to them.

JuniperJamie · 08/08/2021 22:57

I can’t believe I’m about to tell you all this but here we go. Hard hat on. It was the middle of summer, my toddler DD was completely naked running around the house while I ran her a bath. My phone rang and I took my eye off her for a minute to answer it. I put the phone down and called her to bath, she didn’t answer. She was gone and the front door was open. I had forgotten to put the latch back on the door after accepting a delivery. She let herself out. I ran out screaming frantically and she was already at the end of our street with a group of strangers who were already on the phone to the police. This all happened in a matter of minutes. The police arrived at my door soon after and questioned me. I had to show them
pictures of her and her passport/birth certificate to prove she was mine. The had to report it to social services (understandably) and I received a letter in the post a few days later to say they were satisfied that it was a one off event and that they believed my DD was well looked after (barring this one event) I have never forgiven myself and still get chills when I think of what could’ve happened. My DD is adored and I know I’m a good mum. I would never do anything to harm her intentionally.

iklboo · 08/08/2021 22:57

I find it odd that as a mother the OP wouldn't want to follow up on this... it's like a blaze approach as if finding a lost toddler was a usual Sunday thing...

The word is blasé. And nobody would tell OP anything if she tried to 'follow up' due to safeguarding & confidentiality reasons. This isn't an episode of Emmer Oaks Enders Street.

Mumsgirls · 08/08/2021 23:02

This reply has been deleted

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pollylocketpickedapocket · 08/08/2021 23:03

@ElephantOfRisk

We'd not long moved house and had met just a couple of neighbours. Then the doorbell rang and it was neighbour (who we'd met) with 3 year old DS, he'd just decided to go over to play with her kids, let himself in and she hadn't realised he was there until her little girl asked for 3 cups of juice and she only has two kids...we thought he was playing with his younger brother in the playroom while DH and I were clearing up after dinner.

I can laugh now but at the time was mortified. So even in normal homes, DC can wander off.

Hopefully a good outcome for this little one.

Honestly, you knew you had a toddler yet you didn’t make sure your doors were locked and this scenario was impossible???
wewereliars · 08/08/2021 23:04

Actonsquirrrel get a life

pollylocketpickedapocket · 08/08/2021 23:07

@BlowDryRat

Well done to your DS OP.

I lost my own 4yo DS at the park once. Toddler DD feeding the ducks, I was holding onto her and DS just scooted off too far and lost sight of me. We were both circling the lake looking for each other but going in the same direction. After half an hour of frantic searching I called the police. They were brilliant and had officers combing the park in minutes. The relief when they said they'd found him! The police brought him back in a squad car Grin He was scared but also cross because the nice lady at the café had just been about to give him a free ice cream when the police turned up.

This scenario is easily done, I just can’t get my head around the “oh well, they can open the door” stories. Ffs you’re the adult, you need to secure your child!
LaLaFlottes · 08/08/2021 23:07

Well done to your Son Smile

Firstly for caring, secondly for keeping his cool and taking action and thirdly for being so laid back about it afterwards!

What a super kid - I’m not surprised you are proud. I would be too Star

Timeisavirtue · 08/08/2021 23:10

Just because most 12 year olds probably wouldn’t have batted an eyelid doesn’t mean it’s not unbelievable. Well done to your son op, I’d like to think someone would stop and helped my kid if he’d ever escaped.
DS 13 has ASD and is very aware of his surroundings. I know he wouldn’t approach a kid in that situation but he would call me to tell me about it.

Bortles · 08/08/2021 23:12

Well done that lad!

Solongtoshort · 08/08/2021 23:15

Your son is amazing, well done on doing such a good job raising a level head boy.

One of my earliest memories is climbing out the cat flap and running away l think l was 3yo, l remember my mum shouting at my dad, why do we have it we don’t own a cat. According to my mum l used to get out loads of times she used to put a chair against the door because l used to go take myself for a walk. My mum used to tie my hand to the pram when we went out.