*trigger warning* Toddler fallen into river in Leicester

[NoEffingWay]

DS is not so little anymore but this story made me hold him a little bit tighter tonight. I feel so sorry for his family, just hoping he is found soon.

Leicester: Police recover CCTV in search for missing two-year-old boy www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-68343938

He was. Poor thing and poor family.

Who said anything about dragging them around?

That's not criticism.

@AelinAshriver of course it is in this context. Done be disingenuous.

@AelinAshriver of course it is! Dh and I both work 9-5, we always take the kids (7 and 3) for a walk while dinner cooks around 5:30, just a 20 mins around the farm at the top of our road - but it gets us all fresh air after a day in the office/school and this has been a regular thing for a number of years. So far, no one has ever questioned why we’re (or the many other people out) out walking at 5:30pm

Is there a more common time to go for a family stroll than 5pm on a Sunday?

Of course it was a dig. Absolute cretins some people. What a gorgeous little boy

Not passing comment one way or the other but the issue of a flooded river in this case makes it not the same at all as going for a stroll on dry land where an accidental trip, fall or slip of any type wouldn't have a tragic ending

That title is triggering af!!!!@

I can’t imagine what the family are going through and can only hope the little tot is found quickly.

Neither are we, but she still fell over this morning and nearly ended in lake Mälaren as when she tripped the rolled down some stairs that go straight into the lake.

We have all made stupid mistakes as parents.
Sometimes awful things happen because of them and sometimes they don’t.
When I was a young mum I didn’t always use a car seat (not everyone did then), in a haze of tiredness I gave too much calpol to a teething baby, thankfully nothing happened to us then - I don’t judge any parent that fucks up.
Things are harder now, daily life is tough. Maybe the dad was working long hours to make enough money and he made a mistake because he’s exhausted? He’s paid the highest price for it, his dear little baby is missing.

"Not passing comment one way or the other but the issue of a flooded river in this case makes it not the same at all as going for a stroll on dry land where an accidental trip, fall or slip of any type wouldn't have a tragic ending"

You passed comment yesterday when you lied about it being dark at 5pm. And seriously, you've never crossed a bridge with a child? Give over, so horrible

It does what it says on the tin though doesn’t it?

It really is so sad. Poor family.

Toddlers won’t tolerate reins? Who is in charge?
I gave my dgc a choice reins or buggie. Any tantrum and she would be put in buggie
Toddlers do not know best

You seem to have a bit of a bee in your bonnet about reins. No-one uses reins to ‘tie up’ their toddler or to ‘strap them down’ - that’s just inflammatory rubbish. Parents who use reins usually use them because they have a bolter. There is nothing abusive about using reins and they can stop nasty accidents happening, in some circumstances. So what’s your problem?

oh shut up.

Very sad! I am sure we have all had near misses with todlers I know I have. I noticed the water was moving very quickly in the news footage.

Not about reins, just about how MN often push them. In this instance, for example, the child would have been left dangling above the river and the outcome wouldn’t have been any different. This isn’t the thread for it, however.

Sometimes accidents happen. I've had many over the years with my kids!

When my eldest was a baby I tilted his cot too far, I woke up and he was in a heap at the bottom. When he was 3 he legged it out of the park next to my house and disappeared, luckily my husband was driving home and picked him up.

Just a few weeks ago my youngest (6) stepped into the road in front of a car because he dropped his water bottle and it rolled into the road. I was right there and he's at the age where he doesn't always need to hold my hand (or so I thought!!)

It's a horrible incident and whilst things could have been done differently, it's all too easy to make a mistake and for that to cost a life.

Typical of some of MN when a tragic accident happens.

Start strong with "I'm holding my child tighter" - wonderful I'm sure if the parents came on here they would be so comforted by that. This is said to and about bereaved parents every day and it's fucking annoying.

Then we have the usual parent blamers and "well it would never happen to me because...." - accidents could happen to any of us. You can sit and judge and say the stuff you would have done all you like, but any one of us could be the next news headline and have a rake of online perfect parents using your tragedy to make themselves feel better and more in control.

The bottom line is there's a young lad who has tragically died, and a family who will be grieving his loss forever, long after all these perfect parents have moved onto the next tragedy.

I agree it’s not the place for pushing any sort of agenda.

Oh yes, it would never happen to you, you're perfect!

Have some fucking compassion.

And also no one has said they were walking along the swollen river. Theres a bridge there that crosses the river (lower than the main bridge on the road).

I live near to the area and I have felt sick thinking about it since I first heard it on the news.

Those poor, poor parents who will forever have to live with this consequence.

It’s heart breaking.

Let's hope none of your kids are involved in a tragic accident, Mrs Perfect. You wouldn't enjoy the comments then would you?!

There has been some unjustified blame on the parents, but what's the problem with people suggesting reins? It's for the benefit of people reading, not to slander the bereaved parents.

You can't blame anyone for not using reins. But equally, they can be lifesaving if you can yank your child from a car's path, for example.