Such an awful mother I am

[Cocomani]

So I’ll give a detailed step by step account on things.
I have twins dc (2y) and a baby (4m)
Around 11am I came back from the clinic with 1 of the twins and the baby. DH stayed home with the other twin.
I come in, take baby into the nursery for nap and then stay in living room with the twins till baby wakes around 1pm.
When I went to get the baby the twins followed me out and I walked back into the living room and went into my dh office to tell him I’m taking the kids out and ask if he needs anything from the shop.
He asks me where the twins are and I tell him in the hallway.
BUT NO! They opened the door to the apartment, call the lift, press the lobby button, go through the lobby door, press the security button that opens the door that leads you outside and they both go running in different directions.
Thank god they were still in plain sight. But oh my god!!! I can’t beleive I didn’t lock the front door!!!!!!
I can’t beleive I let this happen. This is so awful. My heart is still beating fast and this happened over an hour ago! :(
Pleas tell me this has happened to other people :(

I was in the downstairs toilet once and DC1 was upstairs in his cot. Or so I thought. I heard a knock on the bathroom window and went outside to discover he had climbed out his cot, walked downstairs and opened the front door, then knocked on the window from the outside! He was only 19 months and had never shown any inclination to climb from his cot before.

I bought one of those security chains for the front door and made sure I closed all stair gates ALWAYS after that!

I'm not sure which button to click to make you feel better. YANBU to feel upset and shaken. YABU to think you're an awful mother. You're not. We've all got stories to tell. We were practically on first name terms with the doctors at our local paediatric A&E! I was once there because I thought my son ate a beach tablet when I'd left a bag (unlabeled) in a basket in the bathroom. He'd crawled in, emptied the basket of the shampoo bottles etc and found the bag at the bottom. I came in and found him with half a tablet in his hand. I was sure I was going to get a social services call for that one! I didn't and he's now a strapping lad and putting in his university applications. Lol

Bleach tablet, not beach. Lol

Little kids develop new skills at an alarming rate. All toddlers learn to do some things before their parents know what they're up to. Every parent has had a fright.

You are not a bad mother, you are normal.
From now on, don't trust them an inch!

Something v similar happened to next door neighbour. Three year old DC walked past sleeping daddy on the sofa and out the front door. Not sure if it was unlocked or the child unlocked it. DC was found in a shop having crossed a busy roundabout.

Lol don't beat yourself up about it!!!

I woke up one morning to the sound of the doorbell ringing repeatedly. It was my 2yr old and 3 yr old and they had a bag of cookies in their hands. Apparently they snuck outside for an early morning picnic and locked themselves out

When DS was small, crawling not walking, I was in the shower and DH was meant to be in charge. The back door was open for our dog and he and DS got out through the side gate (no idea how it was open) and made their way to the edge of the pavement. A car driver stopped just as DH realised they were both gone. I was furious! But these things happen.

When my youngest was 2 I had a stomach bug. Legged it upstairs without thinking, come back down to my toddler gone, door wide open and him halfway down the road. I got him inside and sat holding him for ages with him staring at me like I'd lost the plot and the police rocked up, someone had called them. The lady made me a cup of tea bless her and told her own tales of escaped toddlers. The door has been chained when we're home ever since, even now he's old enough enough know better.

Be kind on yourself. You're doing a great job I'm sure! My twins were only 20 months when baby number 3 was born...it was so so so so hard but you will come out the otherside (and look back and wonder how you did it). Kids are just pests sent to try us.

I lost my baby at toddler group once. They had to stop the whole group and put their Lost Child protocols into practise. I was convinced he'd gone out a window. He was found in the disabled loo, he'd pushed the door to get in but couldn't pull it to get out. Literally an entire group of parents watching me being a shit mum too busy eating cake to know where her kid was.
Twins must be hard. Go easy on yourself!

I've also got two runners OP. Countless escapades and near misses over the years.

Relatable TikTok here: vm.tiktok.com/ZMRqMWAY7/

Why do I have Yoda's voice in my head when I read the thread title?

liberated the toddler next door too.

@user7012893145776 how old are they now? Are they just as bad! Your post made me giggle!

If they are like my son you need a high bolt.

We are in a new build where locks and handles are disability friendly so low enough for a toddler to reach and he can unlock the front door and take the chain off.

So you are not alone with a Bolger

@GreekTragedy he's nearly 11 now. He's not like that at all now. He's sensible...ish.

I can laugh about it now

Thank you everyone. Your posts have made me feel so much better. Some of these are hilarious!