5 year old running off in shops and won't respond and hides for a long time

[Mamabear8924]

Writing this absolutely livid and disgusted as My son took the biscuit today and ran off (second time in a month) after us simply telling him to stop running around the shoes stall in primark today. He ran off so fast we couldn't see where he went. My mother and me ran around 4 times in the huge shop and had asked security to help find him as we were calling his name for a long time and he wouldn't respond. Today was the longest he has ever hid for roughly 10 mins. We found him in the end as a woman heard him crying and the shelves moving. He heard us screaming for him and wouldn't come out I'm at a loss as I don't understand why he's doing this. My anxiety has been extremely tested today with his behaviour there was no reason for it! He knows we told him before that this is really wrong. Could someone offer advice?

It sounds like he was bored and seeking attention but then got scared as he knew he was going to be told off.
I would be ensuring someone always had hold of his hand from now on, or that you are stood he is front of you if you are using your hands so he can’t slip off.

Disgusted is a strong term OP. How are things normally with your DS.

Agree with the PP though, from now on he has to hold hands. I'd be considering using something like a wrist strap too.

CadyEastman wrong choice of words perhaps but he has done this before this month. Before we went shopping I told him that he needs to stay with mam and offered a mcdonalds afterwards. I'm a good mother and put my children first no matter what but I feel upset that he has done this twice this month and disappearance is getting longer no matter how much I try to warn him that someone could take him or we may never find him. By the end of the ordeal I could hear my heart beat in my ears and was shaking... I don't know if it's happened to you before but it's a parents worst nightmare when your child goes missing particularly when you end up leaving your younger child with a distant friend to find him i am worried how it may look as if I have a naughty child.

I know how it feels. I have lost both of mine at one point or another. It's makes you feel sick and upset beyond belief.

Instead of focussing on how it looks, I would have a think about why he's doing it. Has something changed at home or school? How is he at school?

At the moment I think he's clearly letting you know he's not happy about something and you have to try and work out what that something is.

Until then I'd try and avoid shopping with friends. Is there something about it he doesn't like? If it's the light, could he wear sunglasses? If it's the noise maybe try headphones?

Does you DFriend have DC on the trip with you? How does he get on with them?

Reins, if he runs off they go on.

Regardless of any underlying issues, his safety needs to come first and reins are the easiest way to do that at 5.