To use MN to say thank you to the teenagers at Chessington

[paniniswapx3]

Was at Chessington World of Adventure today & lost DS (7) following a ride (where you exit through a shop). It was only for a few minutes but panic completely set in & I was screaming his name. No adults or staff helped me at all but a group of teenagers (boys & girls) came forward to ask what he looked like & went on the hunt for him. They found him after a couple of minutes (he'd gone back towards the ride) & brought him to me. I did say thanks to them but in my relief, I started crying & focusing on DS, so don't feel I said thanks properly. Therefore if any of your lovely teenage DC tell you about the frantic Irish mum at Chessington today, please give them my heartfelt thanks - they were fab & sprung into action so quickly (were about 6 of them) when not one adult helped at all! I'm so grateful & annoyed with myself that I didn't thank them more earlier!

I know you don't wish to be identified but Facebook and Twitter are great for this sort of thing. Don't feel ashamed, it happens to us all and it's bloody terrifying!
Well done to the lovely teenagers.
My DS age 8 sprang into action when we were in soft play and a littler kid was crying and looking lost. He reassured little boy and after telling me what was happening took the boy straight to a member of staff. (Proud Mum emoticon)

Similar experience here. When ever I see acts of kindness on trains and at venues it is usually teens.

I was very pregnant and got on the train to a group of very rough looking lads drinking who were also clearly underage and being a bit rowdy. I was a bit 'oh here we go'
When it came to my stop an elderly lady in a wheelchair who had two large cases and had been helped on the train luggage wise by a relative at one end got off.

Those boys immediately took action, carried the cases off while the staff got the chair off and realising the ladies relatives were not there yet sat and waited and chatted with her till they came.

☺

I was walking through town one day with DS when he was about 3. As I stopped at the pedestrian crossing I was joined by a group of teenage lads who were using some choice language.
I cringed at the langauge but tried hard to ignore. I was talking to DS about how we had to wait for the Green Man. One of the lads put his arms out and stopped his mates from crossing the road and said ' Right lads, little one there, shut up with the swearing and we're waiting for the Green Man.'
Then they all stood, as good as gold, until the Green Man came on, and crossed with me and DS.
It made me smile.

We were at a large museum Easter time and an old lady looked like she'd fall down before she could find somewhere to sit. DS (12 and hormonal). Ran and grabbed a seat from out of the coffee shop and helped her sit down. Couldn't speak for choking back very proud tears. He said later: "Well, she's someone's nan, I would want someone to help mine". More tears. Glad your little one is ok x

Definitely leave a message on the Chessington facebook page and also mention that their own staff were useless at helping to search for your daughter. Chessington need to improve their staff training in locating lost children.

Teenagers get a tough rap at times but this just shows there are nice ones out there! Glad you found your DS safe and sound.

You could put a message on local radio.
Glad they helped and shocking a member of staff didn't. So scary to lose a child I lost one of mine on a station once. I was terrified!

Oh there are some lovely stories on here - Jeff, for some reason, yours in particular made me well up!

Teens do get a bad rap a lot of the time and most of the time it is largely undeserved although I do wish they'd get rid of the hoodie and baseball cap fashion that most of them still affect, it really doesn't help!

Glad that they helped you find miniPanini so quickly, that's great of them - and I hope that at least one of their mothers is on here to see and let them know how much their help was appreciated.

I too know how awful it can be when they disappear - DS1 was a right little beggar for hiding from me in shops, I used to be frantic before he'd pop out from inside a clothes rail, or off a bottom shelf of a unit or something! He doesn't do it now we have Ds2, thank goodness - he's older and more savvy about the panic - but we do have a very strong "if you can't see me, I can't see you" policy whenever we go to crowded places now. And DS2 goes in the buggy or on reins - can't be doing with the concept of losing him - will be more stressful when he's too old for both of these options!

jeff that has actually made me a bit tearful.

Fantastic story
I'd hope my DDs (18 and 15) would have helped you too.
DD18 says put it on Twitter - they're more likely to see.

I'm loving all the positive teens stories - Jeff, yours made me well up too! I might put it on Twitter then (but still not too keen on being identified - mortified if the Daily Mail picked this thread up but reckon it's too kind hearted for that to happen!)

Lovely story with a happy ending.

I lost DD once and she was missing for about half an hour and it was two teenage girls who found her. There are lots of kind, caring teens around.

Glad you had a happy ending, OP.
My colleague's DD, aged 6, disappeared one afternoon and it was a bunch of nasty-looking adolescent punks who found her and cared for her until the police came.
I wish society would refrain from using teenagers as a punching bag. I didn't approve when I was a teen. Now, when people slag off this age group, I give them a right damn talking-to.

I can understand not wanting to make a public post on the Chessington page but I'd still email them to point out that their missing child procedures need to be improved. This must happen every day, they should have a protocol that swings into action.

Aww, bless! You might find the teens on thestudentroom.co.uk if no one here claims them!

I lost a little girl I was looking after in a library once, turned my back for a minute to help her brother taje his coat off and she was gone. I called her name and a member of staff told me to go and look for her outside and stop shouting. I found her staring in the window of the cake shop two doors down. (She was four)