Tonight I went to a local supermarket with dd (7). The supermarket is on two levels with the shopping area being on the first floor and the ground floor just the entrance, a couple of kiosks and trolley storage etc. The car park is also on the ground floor.
As dd and I entered the store to get on the escalator, I saw a young girl of around dd's age struggling to carry a little girl of 2 or 3. I looked around to see who she was with but couldn't see anyone. Dd commented that the children were young to be on their own. The younger girl had no shoes on and was crying, the girl was carrying her but she was obviously too heavy for her. Whilst we were going up the escalator the older gilr turned around to talk to me. She said "My sister fell asleep in the car and my mum didn't want to wake her up. She told me to watch her. I've been playing on my tablet in the car but now Sophie's woken up. She's crying because she wants my mum. I can't find her shoes so I'm taking her to find my mum".
I was really shocked that they had been left alone. It was quite dark outside as it was pouring with rain. I felt as though I should do something but I didn't really know what to do. The girl then spoke again. She said "I guess I'm going to have to walk up and down all the rows to find her." With this comment I really felt as though she was asking me for help. In this day and age though I really didn't want to take her by the hand or anything but I felt really sorry for her. When we got to the top of the escalator there was a security guard at his station. I said to the girl that the man worked there and maybe he would help her find her mum. I went over to him and said could he helpthese two children as they were lost. I explained what she had told me and he thanked me and led them over to the Customer Service desk.
At this point we had to go as my dd needed the toilet and by the time we got back they had all gone. I couldn't stop thinking about them all the way round the store, hoping that the mum wasn't cross with the girls for getting out of the car.
Am I being unreasonable in thinking it was a crazy thing to do? Anything could have happened to those children. Nipping in to pay for petrol where you can see the car is one thing, but shopping inside a shop on a different floor our oview of the car park?
I don't really know why I am sharing this but I couldn't stop thinking about them for ages and what could have happened - in the car or after they left the car. Even my dd was worried and she is only a child.