That horrendous feeling when you can't find your child...

[Feelingoptimistic]

I was at our local playground with 3 year old DD on the weekend. It's quite large, with different areas, etc. Anyway, I was watching her, but also flicking through a newspaper, and then I suddenly realised I couldn't see her. I started looking for her, and after a few minutes started having that horrible fear that I would not find her - I eventually walked up to the playground attendant and burst out crying as I was telling him I would not find my DD. Of course just as he started reassuring me that we could find her, she walked up to me.

It was only a few minutes, but in that time everyting suddenly seemed different, with thoughts of how I could possible go on living if something had happened to her.

Has anyone else had that moment of terrible fear, when you think you child is gone?

I had that feeling once, in the toy department in the basement of Le Bon Marché. DD just disappeared and she was so small and the stands were so high and dense that it was impossible to know where to look.

I was desperate and tearful but she turned up 5 minutes later in the book department.

Never forget seeing a woman in the supermarket running around with a security guard screaming "about 3, green jumper. Don't think I have ever seen anyone so wired and panicked have never forgotten it.

I don't think the feeling of panic you get when you can't see your child comes with anything else.

I lost my youngest last week in the school playground and it was only for a couple of minutes but still, my stomach was sinking.

I lost my youngest in ToysRus once and got no help from the staff.

oh god ive done this, its awful.

this thread has made me think how Madeline Mcanns parents must have felt (and probably still do).

i wouldnt wish it on anyone.

When DS1 was almost 3 I took him and DS2 to Santa's grotto in the local shopping centre. I was strapping DS2 into the buggy whilst DS1 was watching the animatronics, DS2 was being a bit of a bugger so my eyes were off him for a couple more seconds than usual and when I turned round DS1 had vanished. Horrifying! My mind went into overdrive trying to think which way he might have gone. I was running round like a demented women, bashing christmas shoppers in the ankles, shouting 'get out of my way' (I'm usually so polite). What I remember most, apart from the fear, was the bazillion thoughts going through my mind - 'should I ask someone to watch DS2 whilst I ran round Woolie's', 'Should I phone someone - but who?' 'Please don't let someone have taken him' 'I can't NOT find him, this can't happen to me - but it DOES happen to some people' etc almost simultaneously and really struggling to form a plan of what to do in my head.

Needless to say he was found. He had legged it up the Thomas ride on and then realised I wasn't there so had started to cry. A kindly shopper took him to a security guard who was just radioing his description round the centre when I arrived in near hysteric's. On the plus side it scared the living daylights out of him as well as me and he's been great since about staying in eyesight of me, silverlining and all that!

Could happily live the rest of my life without going through that again.