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Original poster

2 year old left the house and ran into the road

50 replies

Moonshine160 · 22/02/2022 18:21

About an hour ago me and my little boy who’s 2, nearly 3, were playing a game in the living room. He kept grabbing his little rucksack and saying “bye mummy I’m going to work” then shutting the living room door and sitting on the bottom stair giggling. When he did it the final time I left it a minute but he didn’t come back in the living room and I couldn’t hear him so I was shouting him and to my absolute horror went into the kitchen and found the back door wide open. He’d ran out and down the side of the house through our gate which I’d shut but not locked and I found him wandering in the road crying and shouting for me. We live on a fairly busy road, well it’s very busy during rush hour, and cars had stopped both ways. It’s meant to be 30mph but cars fly down. I grabbed him and apologised to the first driver who was lovely but I am absolutely mortified and I don’t know how I’ll ever get over this. It could have ended terribly and I feel like the worst mother ever. It’s completely my fault for not making sure that the gate and back door were both locked.
I’m worried that one of the drivers is going to call social services or something. I just don’t know how I’m ever going to get over this and that I could have lost my little boy.

OP posts:

SarahAndQuack · 22/02/2022 18:25

I think you need to lock your door! And maybe pop a bolt up top if you think he's going to get to the age where he can do the lock.

It sounds really scary, but it's one of those daft things that you think back over and wonder how you didn't foresee it - but you didn't! We all do it IME ... if it's not this it'd be something else.

Yeahbutnotreally · 22/02/2022 18:25

Clam down. Your little one came to no harm and you’ve learned that he is like Houdini so you will be more aware in the future.
The driver won’t phone SS.
Please don’t let this consume your every thought. By the time your little one is a teen you will be laughing over the retelling of “that time you escaped”.
This parenting malarkey is tough sometimes.

Moobootoyoutoo · 22/02/2022 18:26

You have survived, it's do hard to know when to protect and when not to go overboard - you know now that checking the gate is secure is necessary

Really glad little one is ok, the adventurous little pickle

Breath, drink water and give them a cuddle - all is ok

And it doesn't make you a bad parent.

Cookiecrumble22 · 22/02/2022 18:29

It's happend. You can't change it. He's safe nothing happend to him. After such a shock and the worry I'm sure you will remember to lock the door from now on. Stop beating yourself up .

whatisheupto · 22/02/2022 18:33

You poor thing, what a shock. You might not feel it but so many of us have been through similar. It happens. It will take a while to get over it, and yes you will always remember it. Be kind to yourself. One day you will be able to think about it without feeling sick.
In the meantime get high up bolts/locks that he cannot reach. For the side gate and the front and back door. If he has an adventurous spirit he might be unlocking reachable/easy locks as he gets older. Take it easy OP, you've had a nasty shock.

Xmas1987 · 22/02/2022 18:36

My friend was washing pots in her kitchen once when she happened to see her 18 month old girl on the other side of the street with a bottle in one hand and a nappy in the other! She is an amazing mum, these things happen. Don’t beat yourself up xx

Emsie1987 · 22/02/2022 18:36

What a shock. Don't dwell on it too bad. Just see it as a lesson well learned and now you will make sure that the back door and gate are locked. It could of been worse but it wasn't and you won't make that mistake again.

RandomUsernameHere · 22/02/2022 18:36

That sounds very upsetting but just be grateful that he's ok. We all make mistakes and I'm sure you won't make the same one again. All's well that ends well.

MrsTerryPratchett · 22/02/2022 18:38

You'd have an attack of the vapours if you had to parent mine. She was a tiny Houdini. I once fitted a new lock to the top of a door, went to the loo and found her on a chair trying to open it. She was a toddler.

Total bolter. Now at 11 she's an incredibly confident, independent child.

Keep your nerve, bolt every door!

ASatisfyingThump · 22/02/2022 18:41

It's scary at the time, but it's happened to most of us at some point, you will get over it and even laugh about it one day. The important thing is your child is safe, just remember to lock the gate from now on, no harm done.

Redburnett · 22/02/2022 18:41

Near misses don't count. It sounds glib but many parents have experienced incidents that could have ended horrifically but didn't. Be grateful. Talk to your LO in appropriate language so they learn from it hopefully, It is obvious you have already learned from it!
And put it firmly in the past, where it belongs, and move on.
All the best.

DickMabutt73962 · 22/02/2022 18:43

Think about it this way, it will never happen again. Don't be too hard on yourself, it's happened to people that I know!

Bunnycat101 · 22/02/2022 18:44

That must have been a horrid shock and many of us have had them. Our 2yo had jumped her cot, unlocked our back door and had gone up on the climbing frame in our garden one morning while we were still asleep and had been quiet enough not to stir us through the monitor. Scared the crap out of us as we had no idea she could escape her bloody cot let alone unlock doors. After that we removed keys. There is probably about a year period where toddlers are getting their independence but have absolutely zero sense of danger. They can suddenly do things that you don’t expect or plan for out of the blue even if they have otherwise appeared sensible.

Retrievemysanity · 22/02/2022 18:44

Awww you poor thing. He’s ok though and that’s the main thing. My DD did similar when we had builders in once. A random lady had to bring her back as I couldn’t find her. She also climbed out of our lounge window once too! Your heart leaps out of your chest doesn’t it

Member869894 · 22/02/2022 18:49

I bet you're shaken but these things happen. . I left a jar of calpol beside the cot once and came back to my toddler glugging it and I remember feeling weepy for days thinking what might have happened . At least now you have the chance to sort out thst side gate

OrganisedChaos22 · 22/02/2022 18:52

It happens to so many people. And thankfully your dc wasn't hurt.

Lock door keep key out.
Hopefully as he was quite frightened he won't do it again.? But take away the opportunity.

Cottagepieandpeas · 22/02/2022 18:53

Poor you, how terrifying
Lots of us have these sort of horror stories. It’s not a reflection on your parenting skills.
Take care.

Iamkmackered1979 · 22/02/2022 18:55

Been there, my second son ran out in front of a car just out of my reach after nursery no idea why he did it, he’d let go of my hand to get something out of his pocket.

youngest son (I have 4) was a little Houdini and is responsible for my grey hair and aged look he’s done the opening door thing and bolting we got a chain in the door. This was a kid who could unlock stair gates when tiny he used to let his older brother out of his bedroom. Honestly there is never a dull moment and he’s now 9!!

Your son is fine op. You do learn from these things. You then put things in place so it doesn’t happen again. 4 boys later and I’m hoping we are past that well I was until sat when 2 lads jumped my 21 year old and put him in hospital he’s ok but I don’t need any more grey hair.

Take care op, you’ve had a real shock, give your son a cuddle and try to calm down

MuchTooTired · 22/02/2022 18:57

You’ve had a terrible shock, but you’re both ok. Keep this on repeat in your head and try your hardest to shut down the ‘what if’ thoughts, you’re both safe and sound.

My DD is an escape artist, I’ve been where you are (different worries, mine was a massive pond instead of the road!).

This parenting malarkey is a wonderful and terrifying journey!

pickingdaisies · 22/02/2022 18:58

Happened to me (a good few years ago now). We were in the garden, and I saw DD go inside the house. Little darling tipped sand from her sandpit onto the kitchen floor, so I swept it all up, then couldn't see her. Thought she was hiding from me, then saw the door wasn't quite shut. Ran into the street no sign, down to the t junction, no idea which way she'd gone, then saw a woman walking towards me carrying toddler and toddler's toy pushchair. She'd caught her just before she tried to cross a busy road heading into town. It took seconds for her to disappear, I still feel sick thinking about it and she's all grown up now. I'd like to say that was the last time I lost her, but she loved hiding in cupboards. But I never forgot to lock the door again.
Mind you, I did the same to my mum when I was a toddler!
The thing is that we have to watch them 24/7, and we are only human. We literally cannot be on high alert every second. Every mum will have a story about a narrow squeak, we just have to learn from them and now you know you have an escapologist on your hands, you'll never forget to lock that door again.

EezyOozy · 22/02/2022 19:00

Mine got out the garden once when my husband was watching them, aged 2 and 3. He went in the house for a wee and the went through a gate, down the drive and onto the pavement where they fortunately stopped. I was actually weeding in the front garden and heard them giggling. We now have a self closing gate with a self locking , high up latch and my husband will never let that happen again!

My niece fully fell into a loch once, when she was a toddler , and was pulled out unscathed. Her mother was mortified.

These things happen op ; we have all had near misses.

Squiff70 · 22/02/2022 19:00

Not your fault! It is extremely scary but he's okay, he's safe.

My friend has a teenage daughter now. When her DD was a baby, she learned to roll. He mum left her for a minute on a play mat whilst she nipped to the kitchen for a drink. When she got back, her baby had gone. She found her in the garden (it was summer and their patio doors were open). Baby had rolled(!!!) into the garden and was eating a slug.

Every parent knows you need eyes in your arse with little ones (I have a two year old so I get it) but this particular problem can be avoided in future with high up locks on the doors and gate.

Don't worry about SS.

Breathe. He is okay. Give him extra cuddles tonight.

EezyOozy · 22/02/2022 19:02

Oh this happened to a friend of mine too, she was weeding in the front garden and thought her little boy was happily playing beside him, she looked up over a hedge and saw him on the other side of the street running down the road… She was also mortified. Honestly, I know you feel shaken up now but you won't forever

sqirrelfriends · 22/02/2022 19:02

You've had a shock, he's safe and these things happen.

I once let DS into the garden, couldn't see him and went out to find that he'd unbolted the gate and was on the drive waiving at the bin men.

3luckystars · 22/02/2022 19:02

That is a ‘near miss’ and it won’t happen again will it. Guilt is pointless, it’s all about trying to blame someone, he is ok and you are ok. Lock the door and the gate and get ready for loads more of these heart stoppers, they happen everyone. Good luck.

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