Feel completely gutted about what (could have) happened yesterday :-(

[schneebly]

I went to work yesterday evening at 4.45pm and had DH on the phone by 5.15pm to tell me that..

he had gone to the toilet and when he came out the front door was opened and DS2 (2.2) was gone. He ran out into the garden and started to look for him and call his name and then he saw the gate open so went out on to the road (there is no pavement) frantically looking for him and one of the neighbours came out to help he even went and looked in the burn at the bottom of out garden and that was when he heard my SIL (they live accross the back on the other side of the burn)shout that DS2 was at her house. He had just appeared and knocked on her door. In order to get there DS2 had to open the front door, open the garden gate, walk on the road and over a bridge. He was soaking wet as it was raining but other than that he was ok. I still feel so sick at all the things that could have happened to him and cant stop thinking about it. I mean there is a burn, a road which although not busy has some large farm vehicles on it, an old mill which is being revovated not to mention that someone could have just taken him.

I feel soo gutted

Oh poor you! DON'T feel gutted. Your little man has his own Guardian Angel I reckon! Don't feel bad. Your DH won't forget this in a hurry so he'll be super-vigilant from now on. And remember that 100 years ago all children of his age would have been out wandering.

Thanks MP - we have already locked the door on a higher lock and DH will be fixing the gate today so it is more difficult to open. I just cant stop thinking about it.

OH, what a terrible shock for you, I am so glad that he is okay. I have had some worrying near misses with my own children, so know how you feel

we have a funny lock on our front door, it has stopped my children escaping many times. i'll google it for it.

Don't feel bad!

There are good people out there, too.

When I was still married to the ex, we found an absolutely beautiful little girl, aged 3, wondering around our apartment complex. Alone.

She'd been staying at her grandmother's and gotten out of the flat!

Imagine if she'd gotten into the wrong hands?!

But she didn't, and we called the cops from a mobile.

The look on her grandmother's face when she was reunited with her!

Not all people are out to do bad things to kids.

poor you!glad hes ok.a stupid question but whats a burn?

Everyone makes mistakes hun and we learn by them. Thankfully ds was completely unharmed and because it did happen, It WON'T happen again. I know its easy to think 'what if?' but nothing happened, so don't beat yourself up over it.

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I guess we are lucky that we live in a very quiet place and if anyone had seen DS they would have known who he was as it is a very close knit community and glad he went to SIL's house at least.

Kittypants - burn must be a Scottish word? It is a like a stream or small river.

Just be thankkful no point feeling guilty theres nothing you could have done. I never forget that fear of lossing my Dc for a few minutes seemed a life time. Just reminds you how special they are.

schneelby - my ds did exactly the sane last feb when ds4 was newborn.we had to change all the locks...he had crosseda road - talked to some people - i had rung the police - i felt ill for days...

you poor thing - disaster averted x

Pruni - that is an awful story

We had the door locked but only one of those little turn type locks (wouldn't have thought he would have managed it!)but is is now locked higher up on a chubb thingy as well.

now i know what burn is.cant imagine shock that must go through your head!

scneebly - I really feel for you.

On 2005 summer holiday ds2 was 2 and we were staying in a log cabin kind of place on a farm - both boys were happily pottering around us then ds2 was GONE - started shouting his name, no reply, panic hit then - ran round like lunatic - then heard him shouting 'mummy' in a muffled kind of way - found him up to his nose in a pond coverd in green plant stuff. We were both in shock for days and dh still hasn't quite got over it.

schneebly I know how you feel.

this happened to me in January, I was full of the flu and feeling sorry for myself, dh was at work, ds 2.7 yrs was just playing, our front door had a wonky lock that I could never open, but dh had just fixed it, ds opened the door and ran out, he was heading for a very busy road when a neighbour's dd spotted him and told her mum, she raced up the road and caught him, I will never forget how bad I felt after that, like I was the worst mum in the world, even worried someone would report me for it,.

I just keep reminding myself that he is okay and try not to worry about what might have happened, though for a few days after it happened I did go through imagining all the worst things.

Your ds is okay.

I know how you feel my front door is easily opened, I popped to the shops once and when I came back couldnt find DS. I went to ask DH and he and MIL said he wasnt in the living room with them so I raced out in the garden (by then imagininig him abducted or in someones pond) Turns out he was hiding behind DH at the side of the sofa, you would have thought that once they realised I was getting stressed they would have told me bu no - to say I was angry was an understatement. I felt sick for quite a while afterwards.

Thanks for all your messages. I see others have had similar experiences. When I came in from work last night and saw him I burst into tears. We are so very lucky that he is ok.

argh you poor thing i hate it when scary things happen and they keep going over in your head.. thank god he is ok,,,,

hope you gave DH a big hug - he must have been terrified.

How awful for you

Its so scary when things like that happen.

Not as bad, but ds went out of the front door once and knocked on the neighbours asking to play!! Its always locked now.

{{{{{{hugs}}}}} You poor thing schneebly. I'm so glad your lo is ok. My dd1 lived until recently in a tiny place on the south west coast of Scotland, she has moved to a large town and says she misses everyone looking out for her and her ds.

Poor you, I know just how you feel, when dts were 2, they managed to escape from the garden, I found them across the other side of a main road, they had caused a pile up of cars, meaning the driver at the front of the queue had had to slam on his breaks, and thank god the driver did'nt move until dts were found so no other traffic could pass.
You will be shaky for a few days

How scary for you all. Your DH must have been worried sick at the time. Glad that everything was ok in the end.

DH was pretty shaken and I think he had been worried about telling me but I went easy on him because the same probably could have happened when I was there.