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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:
Arsebucket · 08/08/2021 20:02

When I this sort of thing I always think thank christ
they were found by people with good intentions. The alternative is too upsetting to think about.

If that was my ds, he’d be treated like a king this evening. Well done to your boy.

godmum56 · 08/08/2021 20:04

a son to be proud of....he must have had great parenting

Whydidimarryhim · 08/08/2021 20:04

That’s lovely he was so sensible and knew to do the right thing.
I really hope it’s a caring family he’s missing from.

lanthanum · 08/08/2021 20:05

Well done to your son for being so level-headed. The child could just have worked out how to open the door without parents realising - it happens. My sister once found a toddler wearing very little wandering round on a snowy day, having seen other children playing in the snow and slipped out to join them. Fortunately she managed to find where he belonged fairly quickly.

Wineandroses3 · 08/08/2021 20:06

Well done to your son you must be so proud of him, what a star ⭐️

CityCommuter · 08/08/2021 20:06

@HerRoyalRisesAgain your son did really well in keeping the little toddler safe. He must be local to you if he was only in a nappy and probably lives somewhere nearby.

Did he have any words at all as usually toddlers have some or even know his own first name? I'd want to know he was reunited with his family - you could always ring the local police station who will tell you if he has or hasn't without giving away confidential details...

WineRipened · 08/08/2021 20:06

That's really good that your son even noticed!

It must be the week for it as Wednesday about 10am I was on my way to gym and noticed a man and a boy up ahead. It was immediately obvious something was wrong as boy (5 maybe?) was talking up to the man and had no socks on and was crying. Man was looking around a little bit lost as to what to do. So I stopped and asked was everything ok. Man explained that he came across the boy crying and banging on the next door to the one they were now outside (terraced houses). Seems the boy woke up and nobody was home. He didn't know their phone numbers. Stayed about 10 mins, calmed little boy down and established he had an older bro. Asked him to check whether his brother was still in bed. Five mins later the Mum emerges down the stairs in her dressing gown - she had been asleep upstairs. Some little kids need school for normality. The man told the Mum that he had found him distressed and that he had wet himself. Man didn't want to call police as he said the parents will get in trouble which is just as well as they were upstairs in bed!!

Original poster
HerRoyalRisesAgain · 08/08/2021 20:06

I'm so glad the little one is OK.
I dread to think what could have happened had DS not found him.
It seems to happen quite often! I was very lucky none of mine ever tried to escape, although we did have a panic when 4 year old DS2 decided he needed the toilet in the shopping centre, and wandered off. I thought he was with his dad, his dad thought he was with me. Luckily he didn't get very far!

OP posts:
FlyingRabbitsAtNoon · 08/08/2021 20:06

I think it is more common than people realise, too. About 4 months ago DP was walking back from the shop and saw a toddler shooting down the street. He put all the shopping down, ran after him and asked if he was okay - then walked him back in the direction he’d come from. Thankfully the mother was there - they’d been getting ready to leave the house and he bolted about the door. I just hope it’s a similar type situation here for this poor toddler.

gogohm · 08/08/2021 20:07

The police may give you a courtesy call at some point. They won't be able to give details if it's a child protection issue but you should get some follow up if he had wandered out etc. especially if the parents want to pass on their thanks to your son. These things do happen innocently, usually the parents don't realise the toddler can operate the door!

Dindundundundeeer · 08/08/2021 20:07

I found a toddler once! I did manage to find his house - open front door, but he was a good distance away. I think Grandad was in charge and mum was in the shower.

AnneElliott · 08/08/2021 20:09

I've also seen this - we were in a beach when a child about 2 came round the headland on his own. His parents were getting pushed right round the other side - and this toddler came over to join the Year 2 beach day (I was a parent helper).

Parents were even embarrassed when we managed to track them down and the tide had now come in and cut off the other beach! He could so easily have drowned.

Well done to your son for calling the police.

AnneElliott · 08/08/2021 20:09

Getting pissed!

Stickywhitelovepiss · 08/08/2021 20:10

Happened to me once. Looked out the kitchen window and a toddler in a nappy in our back garden. Turns out his parents opposite (who we didn't know) had been loading the car at the time, and blinked and missed him. So very easy to do... Kudos to your son.

OldTinHat · 08/08/2021 20:10

What an amazing lad your son is. He has quite possibly saved a life. I do hope the toddler is in a safe place now. A much unMumsnetty load of love and hugs to your lad and to you as well for raising such an hero.

SpindleWhorl · 08/08/2021 20:10

Toddlers do 'escape' sometimes unnoticed. Trouble is, it's so dangerous these days with traffic. We have a 20mph limit in my road but cars hurtle down at 40, frequently.

Original poster
HerRoyalRisesAgain · 08/08/2021 20:11

Toddlers are clearly little houdinis!
I'm still in shock. DS is playing minecraft and acting all cool about it.

OP posts:
surreygirl1987 · 08/08/2021 20:11

Well done to your son. Hopefully the toddler just slipped out, and has a lovely family to go back safely to. My son isn't 3 yet and I didn't realise he'd figured out to unlock door I popped upstairs for 30 seconds to use the loo, and he'd managed to unlock the front door and open it... and the baby (crawling, not even 1!) made a break for it! I heard the door, ran downstairs and found them both on the front step looking delighted with each other. It happened in seconds!

mutedrainbows · 08/08/2021 20:11

I'm feeling very disheartened about all these terrible stories I'm hearing lately... Asiah Kudi, Kaylee-Jade Priest and now this too...

These poor poor kids. I hope it's a terrible accident and the parents are beside themselves. It hurts to think of so many children living in these awful conditions.

Your son is a good egg.

Jemma2907 · 08/08/2021 20:12

You must be so proud of your son! My 1 year old made it out of the front door once. It hadn't been closed properly and I went into the kitchen to make lunch, the next thing I know my Husband runs down from upstairs and bolts out of the door as he saw out the window our little one toddle out of our gate. All in all he'd only got about 6 metres away from our front door (we lived in a small terrace at the time) but it was on a busy road and it still makes me feel sick to think what could have happened!

lastcall · 08/08/2021 20:12

I completely believe this happened because about 10 years ago, the same thing happened to me: I was on my way to a playgroup and came across a toddler wandering down the empty street, not another person in site, in a nappie and a grubby tshirt. Roughly 18 months old and couldn't tell me where he lived.

I scooped the child up and called the police. Before they got there, a delivery driver parked up nearby and said he thought the child came from a set of flats above the local shops ... he did. Dad was dead drunk on the couch and hadn't even clocked he was up let alone left the building, gone down the stairs and headed off on his own.

Original poster
HerRoyalRisesAgain · 08/08/2021 20:13

mutedrainbows those stories make me feel sick. I really hope this little one has somewhere safe and loving to go home to.

OP posts:
HavelockVetinari · 08/08/2021 20:13

@AnneElliott

I've also seen this - we were in a beach when a child about 2 came round the headland on his own. His parents were getting pushed right round the other side - and this toddler came over to join the Year 2 beach day (I was a parent helper).

Parents were even embarrassed when we managed to track them down and the tide had now come in and cut off the other beach! He could so easily have drowned.

Well done to your son for calling the police.

That is so frightening - thank God it was OK.

OP your wee boy did just the right thing, plenty of lads his age would've disengaged and walked off (not because they're uncaring, just from either embarrassment or not knowing how to handle it). He's a credit to you, well done you and well done him.

MintyGreenDream · 08/08/2021 20:14

I found a 2 year old wandering on the path along a main road.I definitely believe it

ElephantOfRisk · 08/08/2021 20:15

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.