My life could have been totally different today

[Sandyrain]

Last night I turned my back for 2 seconds and my 2yo ran into the road. There was a small van coming down and he had to emergency break I inftont of dc.
Luckily he was turning into stop at the shop other wise things could have been very different. He was going 25mph. It's terrifying to think what could have happened. What if it was a speeding driver?
A driver not paying attention?
A larger van that didn't see dc as dc is so small?

I'm counting my blessings that she is safe and well. And how life can change in the blink of an eye.

I was at the library with my DS 3 and my DD 1 when I was checking out some books. My DS was by my side one minute as I was scanning them and gone the next.
He had run out of the door to the High Street and I couldn’t see him. He could have gone left or right, I made the decision to to go left, running and screaming his name and I’m grateful everyday that I did. I caught him just before he ran into the road.
I cried for days afterwards and still have nightmares now

These are all so scary.

I lost DD when she was 2 at a Haven site. We were leaving the disco when we got stuck in a big crowd of people at the doors and she let go of my hand and I couldn’t find her. I dragged DS all over looking for her, enlisted security, the lot. She’d been missing for an hour and we were just about to call the police when I spotted her happily digging in the sand pit. She’d had a lovely time. I cried and we went home early.

DS scooted too far ahead at the park once and I lost him. Again, searching all over, used a random stranger’s phone to call the police as my battery had died, frantic with worry. He’d realised he was lost, found a mum with her children and she’d taken him to the park cafe and handed him over to the staff there, thank goodness. The police were brilliant: with a car at every entrance (huge park) and a photo circulating to the whole force within minutes. DS was brought back to me in a squad car, which (to him!) made up for the fright. He was very cross when none of his friends believed him at school!

I have reins for 2yo DC, have had fantastically shitty comments about it but l don't care- l was nearly wiped out by a speeding driver at age of 5 on a pelican crossing- l remember my dad throwing me out of the way, and the driver screeching to a halt then trying to give us money! Is a very odd memory!

My little boy choked a day before his first birthday, cut up pear, sort of inhaled it. I dislodged the pieces, I wasn't going to stop until I got those out. I always insisted on reins. The comments people mutter "oh they still have those do they" even a swipe from sis in law, I saved my ds from a fair few face plants and near misses. Funnily enough she had a near miss with hers in a car park but seemed very against reins!

My 15 month old crawled out of the house behind DH unseen. We found him 20 minutes later when we realised how quiet the house was. They had crawled across the road and 20 feet up the opposite footpath. I still shake when I think of the number of narrow escapes involved in that ladventure.

Three years later we walked home across some snow covered fields with our new DC in a buggy. DH slipped and let go of the buggy at the top of a slope. DC hurtled all the way down as the buggy turned
over and ended up laughing and waving upside down at the bottom of the hill whilst we stood frozen in horror at the top.

I said and say a truly heartfelt Thank GOd for the innate bounciness of children and the strength of modern buggy restraints.

My experiences have cured me of ever judging other parents who have had worse luck than me. One thing a balanced parenthood teaches you is ‘There but for the grace of God, go I.’

Not to sound flippant, but my Mum automatically tries to grab mine / my brother’s hand when we cross roads together - we’re 30 and 33. She doesn’t even realise she’s doing it, I guess that maternal urge to protect never leaves you.

(She is hyper sensitive about roads as her best friend was badly injured in a hit and run some years ago.) I try to respect that and just let her hold my hand while we cross.

Do people really make negative comments about reins? Mine are 8 and 11 and both had reins. Especially my little one who was a real bolter. This thread shows how brilliant reins are!

Queen my mum does that on occasion too, and I am in my 40s!

It surprises me how many people don't keep a firm hold of their small child's hand walking along a busy road. It's a pity that negative comments about reins put them off using them - surely reins are by far the lesser of two evils - a bit of loss of control for the child so that they can't get lost/run over?

I had reins for all of mine and never came across any negativity. I used to wrap the lead around my wrist and hold their hand.

Ladoon. You're 100% right about the bounciness of children. Its almost as though they're designed for falls etc, isn't it.
My sister slipped out of her pram at 4 months old and slide down a flight of concrete steps.
We were with our dad. My dad was shaken up I was sobbing yet my sister slept through it all and didn't have a scratch on her.

Lonoon, sorry

Oh god I had this with DD age 3 a few weeks ago. She was in the buggy, I stopped at the edge of the pavement but she wasn’t strapped in and because I’d been walking fast the momentum propelled her out of the buggy into the road. Car coming round the corner. Just grabbed her in time.

Obviously I don’t let her go in the buggy without straps any more. I used to because she never tried to get out, but the momentum thing hadn’t occurred to me till then.

My daugther was 2, wearing a snow suit, we were feeding the ducks from about 15 yards from the edge of the pond, when she decided to run towards the water a full speed. She stopped dead at the end of the pond, only after I managed to shout "stop!", which must have sounded like a whisper, I just couldn't get any sound out of my throat for a long two seconds. Horrible. Still gives me shudders today.

My sister must have been about 4 when she was hit by a car 30 years ago. Luckily she bounced off the door back on to the pavement. She wasn't hurt at all but the poor driver was hysterical. I wonder if she ever thinks about it.
Life can change in a split second.

DD1 and her DH required an awful lot of help with their children but refused to let me have reins for them. They live abroad and said the children are not dogs and it was just not done in that country. I kept saying that once they toddled they were faster than I was( waiting for hip and knee replacement) I took reins with me but the children were dreadful with them and so they were always strapped in buggies and as they had no garden they just got indoor exercise. When it was winter I had gloves with different coloured fingers and they were good about holding onto their colour but it was tense. I nearly lost dgs2 in a library - a very narrow escape and I never looked after four children together again. Marks you for life I'm afraid.

oh, oh, oh. . That must have been horrifying.

For those asking about the driver www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-42309681 has stuck with me for a while now. Especially the neighbour who let the driver wait in her house.

DD was either in a pushchair or on reins as she refused to hold my hand and walk beside me.

My daughter who was two at the time (earlier this year) did exactly the same and it still makes me want to cry looking back. I turned my back and she started wandering away from me wanting me to chase her, I called her back and she still thought it was a game, darted around a parked car and ran straight towards the road as fast as she could looking over her shoulder at me and laughing thinking it was a funny game. I didn’t even see the driver who was luckily very observant and had slowed down as he saw her running (and heard me screaming) and stopped. I threw myself over her and I think she was more upset about being knocked over by me then what could have happened. I cried all day! I didn’t think to thank the driver either and I wish I had, I just put my daughter in the car, sat down and sobbed.

Massive hugs for you OP xx

If you drive at 20mph around school areas you have time to stop when a young child suddenly crosses the road in front of you as happened to me.

If you drive at 30 mph you will probably kill them.

I was at a caravan park in Cornwall about 3/4 years ago. They had an outdoor swimming pool and we took the kids. Husband had my son in the big pool and I had my daughter in the baby pool. I stood up with her, propping her on my hip and all of sudden, I looked down and noticed this little girl under the water with her eyes open just staring up at me. That is what still plays on my mind, the look on her face. I couldn't let my daughter go so I just grabbed her up out of the water by her arm. Looking back, I could have pulled her arm out of her socket but I didn't even think. I just got her arm and pulled her out the water. Then some lady rushed over in an utter state of panic, picked her up and rushed off. I can't even remember if we exchanged any words between us. It freaked me out for days. Kids run off and once that panic mode sets in, it's almost impossible to see them in a crowd.
Glad it all ended safely OP.

When my dd was 10yo she got separated from me in a supermarket. We couldn't find each other, so she left the supermarket and walked home, (10 mins away!) thinking I'd already left. I asked security, I ran all around the shop and someone suggested could she have walked home? I ran all the way home and she was there on the doorstep. I have never been as terrified in all my life. Not only at my irresponsibility of losing her in the first place but at what could have happened to her in the time she walked home and was waiting for me. It's such a scary situation. I was going through a nasty divorce as well and was convinced she was gonna be taken off me for losing her!!!

Once my DH fell asleep on the sofa with my then 1.5year old DD. He woke up to find her gone, ran around the house and into the garden in just his boxers. Turned out she had wondered down the back garden, out the back gate and was trying to cross the main road we live on when a man got out out of his van and took her into the local shop. My DH luckily saw it from far away. He was crying, running around in his pants and received a massive telling off from the man who stopped to stop her. He has been traumatised ever since and keeps doors locked at all times and wont sleep in the house when its just him and her. I wasn't told about this until about a year ago because he was too scared to tell me.

This stuff happens. I was at traffic lights the other day and grabbed a pram rolling into the road and her mother had not noticed. It happens to the best of us and I am glad we are all there to help each other in these moments.

You are right it can always be so different, we are lucky good people exist and that luck is on our side

When my daughter was 2 we lived in a bungalow on a farm by a very busy A road. One day a feed rep turned up and must have left the bloody gate open. Next I knew someone was knocking frantically on my door to tell me DD was the other side of the road but they couldn't bring her back as our Border Collie was holding her there.

That amazing dog saved her life, he wouldn't let her back into the traffic and he wouldn't let any strangers near her. I still get chills thinking of what could have been.

I'm not massively religious but I'd probably
Say a little prayer tonight

Someone was looking down on you today

Glad your child is safe. These things happen
Don't beat yourself up xxx