To have asked this woman to come and get her child?

[deaddei]

Going to local leisure centre about 4.30 last night, there was a small child- about 15 months old, barefoot, crying as if his heart would break. He was only just walking- kept falling over after a few steps. NO sign of parent. This is a busy area- car park, road, and people just walked by him.
I got dcs to stay with him and ran round the corner to see if I could see the parent. About 20 yards up the hill is a woman with a buggy. I called - is this your child- and she said yes, he wouldn't get in the buggy. I said you can't leave a baby here- do you want a hand getting him in.
She came back and dragged him along by the hand so he was half on floor, half not- and this kid had nothing on his feet.
Now we've all been there with the rigid child refusing to get in buggy- but you don't leave a baby ffs like that.
She didn't seem particularly bothered- not with me for "interfering"- or about child. I did do the right thing didn't I?

yanbu

I am appalled and very how anyone could do this to a baby. In fact, think I would want to smack her one - but would refrain from brawling in the street

Poor little boy

However I can clearly remember doing similar with DS#2 when he was younger. Not at 15m though - he wasn't even walking properly then. There are times when reasoning and being firm doesn't work and you are just too tired and defeated to physically manhandle them. And you are also afraid that you might lose it if you did.

You were right to intervene and I suspect she didn't show any response because she was too damned knackered and defeated. I think some of the comments on here are unkind and OTT btw.

How sad. YANBU.

You obviously did the right thing by calling his mother but I think you should have told her to stop dragging him along the floor tbh.

I doubt she would have listened

Poor little boy. How lucky that you and your dcs were around to help.

There's absolutely no excuse for her behaviour. We've all been there but there are all sorts of tried and trusted ways to get reluctant little 'uns into buggies. None of them involving leaving them behind in an unsafe environment.