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Original poster

Toddler screaming for help WWYD

287 replies

freetone · 08/05/2019 10:05

Posting here for traffic. Just had the most heart wrenching experience of watching a small toddler screaming on the floor in the rain while her mother walked off. I stopped and watched from a distance to make sure the child was okay. The poor thing then proceeded to scream in my direction saying ‘help me please’. It was so hard not to go and pick the poor girl up. WWYD? My DD would not call out to strangers for help no matter what kind of tantrum was throwing. I’m worried for the child’s safety now! She was just screaming at her mum to pick her up and she was ignoring her. That’s all she wanted, it broke my heartSad

OP posts:
BorisBadunov · 08/05/2019 13:45

So when my neighbours children are screaming help me and crying their head off would I not report to SS?

Ooh, glad to see that you worked that one out on your own.

They may be crying “help me, I’m trying to draw on the curtains with lipstick and mummy won’t let me.” “Help me, daddy won’t let me put my head in the toilet and flush”. “Help me, the dog won’t stand still so I can climb on it and ride it like a donkey.”

BorisBadunov · 08/05/2019 13:48

Also loving the you weren’t there so you don’t know. Isn’t that true of all threads? 🧐

Teddybear45 · 08/05/2019 13:53

@zakana - jfc. How do you even discipline a child that does that!

Booboo66 · 08/05/2019 13:58

The macaroon incident🤣... but I thought these things only happen in drug fuelled, crime ridden areas. Why would anyone suspect a child was being abducted from WAITROSE?! 🤭

cottonwoolmouth · 08/05/2019 14:00

This thread has actually gave me a good giggle.

Toddlers are little shits Grin

Dd3 went through a phase of banging her head against the cot at night and shouting ‘HELP!’ After each bang

I was terrified about what the neighbours thought and wondered if SS would come knocking 😂😂

Onecutefox · 08/05/2019 14:03

"You hurt me ." "Excuse me but it's actually you who've hurt me."
Children can be manipulative little shits Grin

Zakana · 08/05/2019 14:07

Teddy bear - it was a complete nightmare at the time, but if we kept giving in to her, she would be running us ragged! I was absolutely petrified, and what worried me more was that my other half was scared, and he is the most calm, level headed person I know!

However, fast forward 14 years, and she is absolutely fine, apart from being strong willed, wilful and a drama queen lol.

FrenchJunebug · 08/05/2019 14:27

my toddler used to cry and asked for his mummy in public whilst in my arms. Cue me trying to convince strangers that yes I am his mummy!

Brefugee · 08/05/2019 14:29

@contraceptionismyfriend

*My two year old fell to the floor holding her face crying saying owww the other day.

The cat had walked passed her and his tail brushed her cheek.*

a career as a professional footballer beckons, i fear Grin

FoxSquadKitten · 08/05/2019 15:04

we've established it seems to be a macaroon incident. Over ..

😂😂😂

BastardGoDarkly · 08/05/2019 15:17

Yeah, ops not coming back is she 🙄

pikapikachu · 08/05/2019 15:43

I'm going to hazard a guess that you are a mum of one. Why? No mum of 2+ kids would indulge a tantrumming toddler every time. What is the qualification in Child Psychology? It's not a patch on real life experience of toddlers.

I think that your assumption that something was wrong because of the area that you were in is terrible. Abuse happens in all backgrounds yet the more affluent will find it easier to avoid detection.

If you are on Instagram, look up the hashtag #reasonsmykidiscrying That will show you that kids are crazy sometimes

Did the mum come back? Was she carrying bags so couldn't carry the child too? It's better that healthy 2 year olds are encouraged to walk rather than always sit in a buggy. Have you considered the very likely scenario that the child promised to walk and the mum took her at her word? Mums are under pressure to keep kids exercised (childhood obesity, sleeping and eating well)

Footle · 08/05/2019 17:18

I was in a city centre very recently and heard awful howls from a 2yr old sitting on a wet pavement. One arm was above her head, tied to a pink lead held by a young man. A girl aged about 6 was tied to a yellow wrist lead and looked very miserable. The young man was hanging his head and doing absolutely nothing. I was slightly late for school pickup and didn't see anyone I could tell, though I looked out for a police officer.
What should I have done?

InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream · 08/05/2019 17:27

What crime was being committed then footle? The crime of using reins so that your child doesn't run off and get run over? Or the crime of looking miserable?

NunoGoncalves · 08/05/2019 17:32

What should I have done?

Nothing.

Continued with your day?

teyem · 08/05/2019 17:34

Wait, I know... It was the crime of hanging his head and not explaining to everyone who was passing by what was happening in his family at that moment so that they could accurately grade his parenting out of ten.

AllesAusLiebe · 08/05/2019 17:38

Hmm, I’m kinda with the OP on this one. Not because I think that kids having tantrums should never be ignored, but quite often, your gut feelings are right.

I don’t know what I would’ve done. Probably nothing because it’s none of my business, but I have seen similar things before and thought poor kid. There has to be a better alternative.

runsmidgeOMG · 08/05/2019 18:13

My 3yo did a full blown long high pitched scream yesterday, right by our air brick at front of the house with a few cries of "mummy please" added in.

The reason ? She wasn't allowed a second ice cream.

Agree with pp, toddlers are dramatic beings.
She's perfectly capable of walking but when we walk places DD is in a stroller judge me at will because if she wants carrying and I refuse she'll simply run in the opposite direction whether there are roads or not.

Oohgossip · 08/05/2019 18:18

Just here for the deletion message Grin

gamerchick · 08/05/2019 18:29

There's plenty of fodder here for an article if anyone's so inclined.

Toddlers are little buggers, glad I'm past all that Grin

x2boys · 08/05/2019 18:49

That sounds like a wrist strap and reins a.footle not a lead ,now why do you think a parent might need to used a wrist strap and reins?Maybe because their child has zero awareness of danger and is a Bolter ?

00100001 · 08/05/2019 18:53

Footle

Well you should have marched up to that man, told him just how awful a parent he was and tell him how to rectify the situation.

Treaclepie19 · 08/05/2019 18:54

My son has started saying help me when he's tantrumming.
I can't help him anymore than I am at the time and if I tried to pick him up he would tantrum more. So I'll expect a call from social services I guess.

SimonJT · 08/05/2019 19:01

My son had a tantrum on the way home from pre-school because I wouldn’t give him a piggy back and wear his rucksack at the same time. He decided to sit on the pavement and scream “he hurt me” he eventually got up and started following me while occasionally shouting “stop kicking me”.

Children can be buggers.

Monarexfluff · 08/05/2019 19:05

My nearly 3yr old DD lives to strughkenand scream help me when I'm putting her in her car seat. Just as well the neighbours know I'm her mum