To feel like the worst mother ver

[Inim]

Was at the arcades/amusements on the pier with my toddler.
I was walking around inside with him and looked away for 10 seconds and when I looked back to where my 2 year old was standing he was gone. I have never been so scared in my life I felt sick. Everything went through my head. What I'd he had ran out into the road. Or the sea. Or someone had taken him. What if he's scared. Or someone hirts hom. I'm never going to see him again. I was in such a panic running everywhere looking for him.
2 or 3 minutes that felt like hours later I found him exactly where we were in the first place but he'd climbed onto a race car game seat and I couldn't see him sitting in the chair.

I just can't believe I was so stupid. What if something happened and it was all my fault my job is to look after him :(
I still feel sick and shakyvand can't stop feeling what if

Oh my goodness you're not a bad mother! We've all been there. We lost dd (then aged 2) at Newby Hall in Yorkshire (country park surrounded by lakes/ponds, etc) She had been with my friend and her children whilst I was dealing with our baby ds. I was nearly physically sick as we were running about screaming her name, convinced she had fallen in the water. There were hundreds of picnicking families, it was just awful!! In actual fact, my friend's dh had followed her as she was wandering off (apparently!) and then taken her on a short boat trip!!!(Nearly strangled him!)
On another occasion, dbil (no kids) agreed to watch her in Next for 2 mins whilst I took something back. Came over and Dbil was texting and dd nowhere to be seen!!! Assistants were hunting and Dbil sheepishly saying 'oh but she was just there...' whilst I was panicking. Found her at the front of the shop trying on ladies high heeled shoes. Nearly strangled him as well!!! The worst one is when ds (then 3) decided to hide in the house. Dd, my friends' kids and I were all calling for him. We thought he'd escaped outside into the street! Even my very level headed friend who was visiting started to worry! Turns out the wee bugger was hiding right underneath my dd's bed, right at the back! Kids!!!

My Dh lost our toddler last week in boots, he totally panicked! until the lovely pharmacy lady pointed out that he was carrying said toddler on his shoulders!!!!

It happens OP, it horrible and the thoughts of what could happen rush through our heads at a blinding rate, but it is so common and no, you are most definitely not a bad mother in anyway!

It's happens op, not yet happened with Ds who is on reins or buggy but i remember my mum who is usually on the ball, losing my younger brother around 3-4 times. its hard to keep your eye on them 24/7.

Have a very unmumsnetty hug. I've been there too. It really is the worst thing about being a parent - that moment of pure panic and terror. It doesn't get easier when they're older and independently going out and about either. I sit home worrying about mine, thinking all sorts of horrors!

Dh lost dd2 AND ds when he took them to the park one time. He then walked home ten minutes away to tell me. They saw him leave the park and decided yo make their own way home and were found happily stuffing blackberries in their mouths on a route we don't usually take.
They were about 6 and 3 at the time.

I did ask dh why he hadn't phoned me from his mobile to ask me to come and look, and he said it hadn't occurred to him. Panic does strange things to our thought process.

I lost DS when he was 3 and disappeared in a large shopping centre....found him talking to a policeman 3 awful minutes later. DH blamed me - until he was shopping in the local market and DS vanished again a week or two later; this time he was chatting to a nice lady who had sat down on the floor to stay with him...
DD did the lift thing; we were at a large museum - the lift doors opened as we walked past - in a flash she'd stepped in, the doors had shut and we heard a little voice going, 'Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummy' as she vanished I stayed put, DH went up and DS went down - and she was retrieved by him on the ground floor...
and a nice sit-down OP - you'll laugh about this one day (in about 20 years... )