Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

18 Month old just escaped house, freaking the fuck out :(

152 replies

TheFairPrincess · 01/10/2021 14:53

Lovely neighbour just bought my toddler to me :( He escaped while I was on a work call, I didn't realise my partner had left the door unlocked. I feel absolutely sick.

OP posts:
someonesomewhere7 · 01/10/2021 14:54

Imma guess your partner is not his dad.

Original poster
TheFairPrincess · 01/10/2021 14:55

He is. I'm having a full on panic attack, anything could have happened. It is a quiet street but a street still.

OP posts:
DoubleEx · 01/10/2021 14:55

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Dizzywizz · 01/10/2021 14:56

Oh I feel for you @TheFairPrincess, very similar thing happened to me with ds2 at a similar age. It makes you feel sick doesn’t it. That feeling will get easier though, I couldn’t get it out of my head for weeks.

immersivereader · 01/10/2021 14:56

What had your partner said?

DynastyBarry · 01/10/2021 14:56

Why was your partner not watching your child? You can't work and look after a toddler.

LaBellina · 01/10/2021 14:56

It can happen. Don’t beat yourself up…be glad you have such a lovely neighbor and make sure to discuss with your DP to be very careful at all times that the door is locked. Flowers

immersivereader · 01/10/2021 14:56

*has

Dizzywizz · 01/10/2021 14:57

Oh dear some not very supportive answers here. I’m sure in future you will quadruple check the door is locked.

Original poster
TheFairPrincess · 01/10/2021 14:57

He usually goes with him to do the school run but he is teething and I said it would be fine to live him here as I have very little work at the moment. Had a completely unexpected phone call and by really unfortunate coincidence the hallway stairgate has just broken today.

Everything came together in an absolute shitstorm. I'm an anxious and overly cautious mother and yet this somehow happened? He's wondering the fucking street in a nappy

OP posts:
inmyslippers · 01/10/2021 14:57

Glad their ok op, you've had quite the shock! Could happen to anyone

Original poster
TheFairPrincess · 01/10/2021 14:58

Thank you so much for the kind answers

OP posts:
talkalarm · 01/10/2021 14:59

Take a deep breath - it's ok, he's ok. He's back, he's safe. It's ok.

I did this once when I was a similar age. It never happened again and my mum was always an excellent and attentive mum.

He's ok now. Breathe.

Original poster
TheFairPrincess · 01/10/2021 14:59

Thank you so much Flowers

He is okay. You're right. He didn't go far bless him. But jesus christ.

OP posts:
WithMyEncyclopedia · 01/10/2021 15:01

You have to be so careful. My normally sensible 3yo just wandered out of a shop while I was putting my wallet away in my bag. Took 3 seconds and I couldn't find him anywhere.

You have to assume they're going to try and escape at all times and make sure all exits are always locked Flowers

thesplashing · 01/10/2021 15:02

What a scary moment OP.

It was in the news recently that during the first lockdown a mother left her twins in the play room whilst on a work call. One managed to get out and drowned in a jacuzzi in the garden. Devastating.

Chalk this one down to experience, I'm sure you'll never let it happen again.

WorriedWishingWell · 01/10/2021 15:02

Similar happened in our household once, it was a horrible moment, but please don't beat yourself up over it (or let some of the posters on here do it for you Hmm.
You're all safe and well, and it won't happen again.

CornishGem1975 · 01/10/2021 15:03

Oh, do fuck off to everyone who says you can't possibly work and look after a toddler. I do it sometimes and it's fine. My toddler is perma-ill and off from nursery, I'd be broke if I had to not work every time that he couldn't go in.

You've had a scary experience and you'll learn from it. No point torturing yourself with the what-ifs, he's fine.

Dora26 · 01/10/2021 15:03

Lesson learned. Endof

DoubleEx · 01/10/2021 15:04

Were you trying to pretend on your work call that you were on your own and didn’t have a small child there? Would they be difficult about it? If so, that’s shit and their unsupportive attitude almost helped create a situation where a serious accident could have happened.

That being said, I still can’t really understand how you knew it was only you and him in the house, you knew the stair gate was broken, and yet he was left alone and out of your sight long enough to be able do that without you noticing.

I don’t want to kick you when you’re down but it sounds like this was pretty avoidable. I’m definitely not an anxious style parent but when it was just me and my 18 month old in the house I would always have one eye on them. Too dangerous not to.

rocksteadyfreddy · 01/10/2021 15:05

@DoubleEx

Were you trying to pretend on your work call that you were on your own and didn’t have a small child there? Would they be difficult about it? If so, that’s shit and their unsupportive attitude almost helped create a situation where a serious accident could have happened.

That being said, I still can’t really understand how you knew it was only you and him in the house, you knew the stair gate was broken, and yet he was left alone and out of your sight long enough to be able do that without you noticing.

I don’t want to kick you when you’re down but it sounds like this was pretty avoidable. I’m definitely not an anxious style parent but when it was just me and my 18 month old in the house I would always have one eye on them. Too dangerous not to.

You sound like a judgmental arsehole.
Original poster
TheFairPrincess · 01/10/2021 15:05

I've just ordered a new stairgate from Argos as they do same day delivery.

I'm in awe that everything managed to come together like that, partner had only left the house 5 minutes before to get our DD from school. Every other moment of the day it would have been locked.

I am trying to rationalise that it was not some freak event that neighbour brought him back to us. That was the most likely outcome of this, because most people are kind and careful and helpful.

OP posts:
Soubriquet · 01/10/2021 15:05

These things happen. What’s important is to learn from them

I lost my ds when he was 2. I turned my eyes off him for second and he was gone. Honestly, the panic I felt, I couldn’t describe it.

He was found by lovely people at the other end of a shopping centre. For the rest of that day, I felt cold everytime I thought about what could have happened

CornishGem1975 · 01/10/2021 15:06

@DoubleEx

Were you trying to pretend on your work call that you were on your own and didn’t have a small child there? Would they be difficult about it? If so, that’s shit and their unsupportive attitude almost helped create a situation where a serious accident could have happened.

That being said, I still can’t really understand how you knew it was only you and him in the house, you knew the stair gate was broken, and yet he was left alone and out of your sight long enough to be able do that without you noticing.

I don’t want to kick you when you’re down but it sounds like this was pretty avoidable. I’m definitely not an anxious style parent but when it was just me and my 18 month old in the house I would always have one eye on them. Too dangerous not to.

I don't want to kick you when you're down...but I am a judgemental sanctimonious twat so I am going to anyway.
Original poster
TheFairPrincess · 01/10/2021 15:07

You've had a scary experience and you'll learn from it. No point torturing yourself with the what-ifs, he's fine

This is what I needed. I'm actually so glad I've posted because without people being understanding and reminding me of the above, I would honestly be sitting here really suffering. Thank you Flowers

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread