To be beating myself up over this

[recoveryishard]

Was out with a friend and my two kids and her two. They were playing in the soft play and wanted to go outside. I said ok as it was a safe gated area, put 3 year olds shoes on and off he went (or so I thought). He'd actually snuck past me and gone out the front entrance into the car park! He came running up to me in tears screaming and a lady said she had found him and said I need to keep a closer eye on him- I was so upset 😢 he is a nightmare toddler and has run off several times but I can't watch him 24/7, it was really busy and now I feel full of guilt at what could have happened. Add that to my already fragile state and as you can imagine I'm a mess 😢

supervising your 3 year old especially in public is very basic parenting!
and if the place was anything like my local pub with soft play they have signs up telling people to supervise their children as too many people would sit down with a drink and allow their kids to run wild completely oblivious to where they were.

Wasn't wandering about on his own, not like I was at the bar downing shots while he ran riot?! 🙄 was in a small soft play area and he snuck past me, could have happened in a restaurant while I was picking up my bag or putting my coat on.Must be nice to never have made a parenting error. Anyway lesson learnt, wasn't looking to be made to feel like an irresponsible shit mum but hey, this is Mumsnet, I should know by now not to post such things.

Ok candy I get it, you think I lack basic parent skills and am a shit mum. Consider me ashamed and feeling useless.

Mistakes do happen, my sister left the house at 3 years and wandered down the road! Got picked up by a neighbor and my mum always tells the story, laughing like she went out exploring. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I don’t think my mum meant her to escape at all but she was tending all different farm animals and this was in the past. Think people are a bit harsher as everyone thinks the world is more terrible now.

It’s obvious it was an accident op but, please be careful in future for his and your sake.