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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:
CremeEggThief · 09/08/2021 11:02

Of course it happens. A lot of people where I live leave their doors unlocked through the day and toddlers sometimes escape! (It's the sort of area where 4 and 5 year olds are allowed out on their own or with older children anyway, which I view as a positive thing in general.)

lborgia · 09/08/2021 11:20

I still feel horror when I remember finding a 5 year old on the beach 5 years ago.

They were all alone in a vast flat beach, English was a second language and half of it forgotten in that moment, and sobbing.

I called the police, but still desperately looking for the mum or anyone coming back. It was a cold windy day, and freezing for just t shirt and shorts. Spent about 30 minutes with them.

The life guards went down the beach in their sand buggy, and eventually found her a couple of miles away, walking onto a wooded headland/cliff.

The look on her face was indescribable, but I have a very strong feeling she hadn't planned on coming back, or even living.

The child said they were only new to the country, and just the 2 of them, rest of family was overseas.

Still think of them often when I hug my children. Utterly sad.

I'm often baffled by the absolutist views of some on MN. Just because you've never experienced awful things, doesn't mean they don't happen.

diddl · 09/08/2021 11:28

My youngest did this once.

The neighbours found her wandering towards town having crossed a fairly busy road.

She had put something in front of the gate & climbed over.

We had realised just as she was brought back.

We wouldn't have had a clue how long she had been gone.

Mynameisthecatwhogotthecream · 09/08/2021 11:29

A friend of mine was busy doing housework thinking her ds(3) was playing in the front room when there was a knock on the door, it was a neighbour with her ds, apparently he'd got bored so decided to go the beach.He'd got his bucket and spade and fishing net, unlocked the front door and started walking down the street where the neighbour found him!

Friend had no idea he knew how to unlock the door, needless to say another lock well out of his reach was added to the door that day.

Talia99 · 09/08/2021 11:36

The suggestion that it’s completely impossible to find random escaped toddlers is bizarre. It’s happened to me twice. Once in town a few years back - my Mum and I found a small child outside the library. It turned out he’d run off in a shopping centre half a mile away. He’d crossed at least one busy road to get to where we found him (it was a busy Saturday and I suspect he’d crossed at the lights with a large group, all of whom thought he was someone else’s child). By the time we called the police, most of the officers from the local station were out on foot trying to find him.

The second time we were driving cross-country down a deserted road with no pavement and high hedges each side and this toddler was cheerfully walking down the middle of the road. Thank god it was a straight bit and we’d just turned left at a crossroads so we were going quite slowly. If we’d come on him round a corner at speed, we’d have had no chance to stop. There was only one house visible (at the crossroads) so we walked him back there. It turned out he was supposed to be napping and had somehow got out the back door.

Kezzie200 · 09/08/2021 12:01

I've known this happen. Drug addled parents and child escaped through cat flap!

Your son was remarkably mature, having checked first the parents weren't in close vicinity. The child needed to be kept warm.

PainterInPeril · 09/08/2021 12:35

@HerRoyalRisesAgain I can't believe some posters are giving you hassle about this! 🙄
Listen up, you doubting Thomas's! Stop hassling Royal! She's been posting here for years and is a very honest, open person. If you don't believe her then kindly shuffle off this mortal thread and deposit yourself somewhere else!

Original poster
HerRoyalRisesAgain · 09/08/2021 12:38

@abw94 no that's not the same story.

Thanks @PainterInPeril you'd think people would just report if they thought something was amiss. I know I've not lied so I'm happy for them to do that.

OP posts:
SparklyOnTheInside · 09/08/2021 12:54

Your son is amazing Smile

I hope he enjoys his treat!

feb2022 · 09/08/2021 12:58

Your son is brilliant!
What a good caring boy, I would be so proud too!
If my toddler boys grow into half the decent human being your son has I'll give myself a pat on the back as I know I've done a good job!
Must have been so scary for that little boy, I'm hoping it was just a one off and the toddler had just escaped (mine do try on a daily)
My house is locked down with about 4 million safety gates for this exact reason 😂

PainterInPeril · 09/08/2021 13:01

@HerRoyalRisesAgain It feels as though you're being bullied and that's not acceptable.

Blabla81 · 09/08/2021 13:13

This has happened to me twice. Found a toddler (approx 2yo) wandering on his own at Butlins. Had to take him to staff members who then dealt with the situation.
The second occurrence was slightly more strange. I live in the same village as my sister and nephew who is 3yo. It’s a very large village and we’re approx 1 mile apart. I drove to get fish and chips one evening as a last minute decision for dinner. My order had been delayed and other people were getting served their food before me so I was slightly annoyed. On my drive home, I saw my nephew running along a pavement on the main road. It was a very surreal moment as I shouldn’t have been seeing his little face at that time of day. No sign of anyone else with him. There were hardly any other cars on the road, just me. I strapped him in my car and drove him home - front door open and still no one had noticed. We also have a river running the length of the village so the thoughts of what could have happened make us all feel sick. It’s just strange that of a village with several thousand residents, it’s me that found him. And only through chance. If my fish and chips had been served on time, I would have missed him.

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 09/08/2021 13:20

[quote PainterInPeril]@HerRoyalRisesAgain It feels as though you're being bullied and that's not acceptable.[/quote]
I agree.

I've know Royal for years (for bit too long actually 🤣) and I know she's a good egg.

Iluvfriends · 09/08/2021 13:43

I found a toddler alone a few years back. I was walking my dog in my local area when i came across him, no adult in sight. Tried to find out where he came from but none of the people i asked recognised him. I was just about to phone the police when a caretaker from the area said he believed the boy was from the high rise opposite and this wasn't the first time it had happened. While in conversation the mother appears " Oh there you are, i had to go back up in the lift as i forgot something, i told him to stay put".....really!! She then just walked off. I wish she hadn't appeared then, giving me time to call the police so they could have had words with her. Disgrace of a mother.

30 odd years ago my younger cousin went missing. Neighbours and police all out looking for him, he was nowhere to be found. I cant remember how long he was missing but it was quite a while. We lived about 3 mile from their house and the police turned up asking to search our house as they had to cover all scenarios....still nothing. Then a short time later there was a knock at the door, police with a toddler in their arms" is this him, he was at the end of the street playing with the other kids"......it was indeed.
He had walked the route so often with our gran that he found his way to our house 3 miles away. To this day i still cant believe he crossed numerous busy roads, and possibly alongside a canal ( a route sometimes taken by gran) without some help to cross and not one person stopping him on his journey.

FenceSplinters · 09/08/2021 13:46

Your son handled it brilliantly.

I don’t understand why people are linking the St Helen’s news story. It’s clearly not the same one.

frugalkitty · 09/08/2021 13:50

Well done to your son OP, that could have ended very differently indeed.

My DD escaped once, I'd popped to the corner shop, told DH where I was going and left the house. I was in the queue at the shop and saw a flash of white through the door....it was DD in her nappy, stood by the post box! I scooped her up and dashed home (only a couple of houses away) and said to DH, where are the kids? In the living room, he said!! She'd just reached up and opened the front door so after that we added a chain higher up, and always locked the door from the outside if one of us popped out.

iklboo · 09/08/2021 14:20

@ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba - me too. @HerRoyalRisesAgain is a top banana (and no, I'm not a sock puppet before anyone decides to troll hunt).

Original poster
HerRoyalRisesAgain · 09/08/2021 14:33

Awww shucks Blush thanks guys

OP posts:
DarlingFell · 09/08/2021 15:11

Oh my, your son is amazing!! What a mature, sensible young man. You must be so proud. I am v hormonal today as this story brought a tear to my eye.

Ignore the shitty comments, you get them on every thread nowadays, no matter how positive; the trolls can't help themselves Confused

Nicolastuffedone · 09/08/2021 15:51

I found a toddler walking across the road near my house, a busy road at that! No idea where he’d come from and he couldn’t really speak…I got him off the road, and I was going to walk to the police station about 10 minutes away when his dad came running out and got him, mum came right after him both thinking the other had been watching him.

I dread to think what could’ve happened to him, it’s a straight road and cars belt up and down it….

igetitigetit · 09/08/2021 17:26

Wow. What an amazing boy you’ve raised!

Elit · 09/08/2021 17:30

Your son is amazing!

Pinklemonade1 · 09/08/2021 17:31

What a great son you have raised. Kudos to him! I do hope the little one will be well looked after going on from this .

Thecurtainsofdestiny · 09/08/2021 17:36

This kind of thing does happen - a family member found a toddler on a main road; happened to me as well ( wee tot out in her slippers with a toy pram).

Difficult enough to deal with as an adult - your son sounds awesome!