Did I do the right thing? Found a lost toddler

[reallifeboogie]

So I kept her. Haha. No not really. Obviously.

Took my mum for breakfast at dobbies garden centre. Attached to the restaurant is a massive soft play.
Restaurant fairly busy at 10am this morning. Lots of mums and toddlers going into the soft play.
I then notice a little girl, no more than 2.5, wandering around the restaurant with no shoes and socks on. I watch for a couple of minutes and realise she's not with any of the customers in the restaurant so presume her parent(s) are in the soft play.
I got up and tried to ask where mummy was but she was too little to understand and kept pointing towards a table with people eating. I asked them if she was with them and no she wasn't.

Couldn't see any restaurant staff so I took the little girl by the hand and took her into the soft play.

Lots of parents sitting around tables there but nobody seemed to know who the child belonged to.

So I wasn't sure what to do. At this point the girl started to cry so I picked her up and told her we would find mummy.

At this point a very angry woman stormed up to me asking me what I was doing with the child. I explained and asked if she was mum. She said no... she was the girls childminder and had taken another child to the toilet, which is out of the soft play and restaurant area and in the main garden centre. Childminder shouted that I shouldn't have picked the child up and that she thought I was kidnapping her. Apparently I should have just left her to wander around.

It must have been 10 minutes in total from first spotting the child to handing the child back.

Did I do the right thing picking the child up??

You did the right thing. That poor child!

I’d have got the name of the childminder to make sure I and no one I know ever trusted her with our kids!! She was worried you were kidnapping her? She actually could have been bloody kidnapped in that time. She is completely unreasonable. You did the right thing OP.

You certainly did better than the child minder and she clearly knew she was in the wrong and was feeling guilty so she lashed out.

Shame there weren't any staff around but in the circumstances I'd have done what you did.

Kind of. You comforted a distressed child. I would probably have done a loud running commentary so people nearby understood the situation and asked them to find a staff member for me. I’d also have crouched down with her rather than lifting her.

but who knows in the heat of the moment.

Wonder if the poor child's parents know that's how she is being looked after , you absolutely did the right thing

Yes I think you did the right thing...very much so. How lovely that you took care in the way you did. The one thing I wouldn't have done , I have been in your position btw, is to have picked her up. I dont think there is ANYTHING wrong in your doing that either, but a comforting word , maybe a little back rub as opposed to actually picking her up, may have been 'perceived' better by others ...if u see what I mean

You didn't do anything wrong, and well done for actually doing something. Personally I think I would have avoided picking the child up, but more to protect myself from allegations of kidnapping than for any other reason!

Cripes. I would say you did the right thing to ensure that little girl was safe.

I wonder how the parents would feel if they saw their little girl wondering around without the childminder supervising. Horrified I would say.

You did the right thing! The child minder is angry because she’s at fault, I’d be furious if I was the parent of the little girl.

Bloody hell, that's appalling behaviour from the child minder. You did the right thing. That child's parents would be likely be horrified that their child was left without any supervision.

I wouldn’t have picked her up ,even though I would have back in the past ,but otherwise you did the right thing and would have gone to someone working there.Childminder stroppy because she knew she was in the wrong!!

You didn't do anything wrong

You definitely did the right thing. Children are everyone's responsibilty.

I would have been absolutely furious with a the childminder as a parent. You did the right thing.

You did the ight thing. Why the hell didn't the childminder take her with them, like a normal parent/minder would.

I would if she shouted at you out of fear though. It's something a lot of us do when we think someone is lost or severely hurt. It's almost a form of release.

the only thing different i would have done is handed the child back so willingly.. how did you know this person was infact the childminder? they could have been anyone... i'd have waited for police to turn up to be honest, so that they can get all this persons details and put in any safeguarding referrals.

I'd be trying to track the parents down to let them know how lax the childminder is.

I personally wouldn't have picked up the child. I would've held their hand and tried to guide them towards a staff member. But that's partly as I'd be worried I'd drop them or they might kick off. But you were doing what you thought best. The CM was embarrassed by her own foolish actions and trying to save face to an extent.
I'm sure the kids mum wouldn't be pleased with how the CM left her wandering around shoeless. Too young to really communicate who she was with etc. you did the right thing ultimately.

Yes you did. Once there was a toddler coming down to the bottom of an escalator in a big department store on its own and had the dad shout down at me from the floor above when I was trying to help. I would do it every time.

How do you know this "childminder" was any such thing?

The correct thing to do would be to turn the child in to the nearest police station. If nobody comes forward to claim her in 30 days, I believe you can then keep her.

Agree with comments about finding the childminder. I'd certainly want to know if my child was being put at risk like this.

I think it's a good job you stepped in, so many people look away in situations like this.

Shit childminding. Maybe she had a potty training kid who needed to rush to the loo or else wee in the ball pond or whatever. Still doesn't make it ok. Those places always have big signs saying don't leave kids unattended.

Yes, the childminder turning it on you, to save herself.

Her care was appalling.

Surely you should’ve taken her to a member of staff? Or called one over? I would not have picked her up.

What a shit incompetent childminder.

You were fine doing what you did.

That said, I wouldn't have picked up or touched the child - not because it's wrong (it isn't), but because people these days are such utter idiotic bastards. Case in point - the CM shouted at you and said you could be an abductor - she should have thanked you and apologised.

The poor mum though - at work, with no idea that her little toddler is being dangerously neglected. Aside from the risk of abduction, garden centres contain all sorts of poisons and items that are dangerous to toddlers on the shelves.