To Joe's Mother at Westfield on Friday

[stollenqueen]

It is NOT acceptable to leave your 4 year old son alone in the children's play area while you go off to buy food. Bless him, he stayed in the area, did not leave, but was obviously worried about being left and was calling "Mummy Mummy" as we passed. My kids and I stopped and looked for you, you were nowhere to be seen. We decided to wait with him because, you know, he's 4 YEARS OLD! After 5 or 6 minutes we stopped a security guard because we were worried you weren't coming back, and then you arrived with your other child in a pushchair. Told the security guard he was "fine on his own" and didn't even apologise. Well, it's NOT FINE! He was scared, I don't know how long he was on his own but he was frightened and alone when we joined him. We told him he wouldn't be on his own and we would wait with him. What were you thinking? I am not "Mummy shaming" - God knows it's hard to have kids, but you need to know this isn't fine. Anything could have happened to him, or anyONE. If you are reading this, or know who I'm writing about, please don't do this again. Joe is adorable, he deserves more, don't take chances with his safety. Please.

Poor Joe

What if he had hurt himself
What if someone had hurt him
What if he tried to find her
What if someone found him

Stollen some people honestly think this is fine. Probably the same people who let their four year olds play out on the street on their own. Personally I agree with you, it's dangerous and if he had walked off we could be listening to a missing child case on the news right now.

I am not the most over anxious mother, and certainly would not hold myself up to be perfect in any way, but it made my blood run cold. What was worse was that he was trying so hard to be good and to stay put, but was just calling for "Mummy". My teenagers were even more outraged than me. I feel that I should have said something to the mother myself as she just didn't get it, was smiling and pleasant and saying "he's fine".

4? 'Fine on his own'? Oh dear. That was very good of you to stay by him.

Yet so many parents let their 4 year olds loose in soft play while they sit and chat and have a cup of tea?

Not really the same if the 4 year old can come out of the play structure and find them, Dueling.

Softplay a bit differnet tho? At our softplay here is only one entrance/exit, and the DC can see where you are before they go in.

I agree soft play is different. It's a designated area for children to play together with controlled entrances and exits.

Most of the Soft play centres I have been to have several entrances and exits.

I am not saying she was right to leave him there while she got food but that is essentially what most parents of children over a certain age do with their kids.

A child left in soft play could easily be calling 'mummy, mummy' and wondering where their parents are.

This is not a soft play area or anything like one. It's a small space in the middle of one of the biggest shopping centres in the country surrounded by shoppers. He was on his own with no toys surrounded by random passers by. His mum was out if sight, out of earshot getting a burger by the look of it. The area is not supervised. For those of you not familiar with Westfield, think Trafford Centre or kings cross station in terms of footfall.

Was it the one at White City? that play area is definitely not an appropriate place to leave a 4YO unsupervised!

Yes that's the one. Less of a play area more of a buggy stop.