Stray Children

[grasscarp]

Today I went shopping in a large supermarket and as I as leaving pushing my trolley I saw a little girl about 4 years old alone and looking around anxiously as she made her own way out. I stopped her as she was running into the road in the car park and asked where is mummy. She said she didnt know. I said was she inside or outside the shop when you last saw her. She said inside, so I said, lets go back in and look for her. This was not easy as I was pushing my trolley back in against the flow around the checkouts and suddenly she dashed up to a trolley with mum and smaller child and clung on to the outer side of it. I watched and as unconcerned mum passed me, I said. Your little girl was outside. She said, quite uninterested, Oh she is such a little monkey. Not sure what I said (if anything) but she said without even really looking at me thank you and walked away. Is it me or is there something wrong with the mums of today?

[sara3]

well there was something wrong with that one, but not all of us!

[cazzz1975]

mums used to be bad in the past as well, thankfully not all mums are bad.

[murraymints]

yup....I have rounded up a few very small people wandering alone....some parents seem to be oblivious to the dangers..

[annadomino]

Of course there is, just watch them, pushing a buggy with one hand, texting with the other, and fag in their lips, sure there is something wrong.

[joko]

yeah... youre right...because all mums are just like that...

[sherrardk]

I stopped a kid running into the traffick at a supmarket and the mum couldn't give a monkey's when I told her what had happened. She said the the child was with her dad and I said he wasn't anywhere to be seen. I got quite cross but she really couldn't care less (bearing in mind that I had my own children with me who were my prime concern). When we are all out and about, thing 1 and thing 2 are on their reins so I know where everyone is! If it is in the week and the others are in school, I take the reins off as they have to learn how to behave.

[askyourgran]

Some people are so ignorant, it probably didn't register that her little one could have been in danger.

[Pirate1]

Someone at work said that the other day in Asda, there was a little girl lost and upset. So, she took her over to the security guard and asked him to put a message out for her dad. The guard just said, "oh, we're not allowed to do that anymore" and walked off!!!! Said girl, fortunately, spotted her dad and ran over to him. My colleague wondered what she was suposed to do if she hadn't seen him!

[cazzz1975]

some mothers are rubbish, in all era's, this is not a modern problem.

[annie0000]

I had to almost catch a little boy of about 4 who was kneeling in one of those shallow trolleys and reaching out to grab something from a shelf from falling out the other night - his mum was in the next aisle and when his older sister - about 6 - spotted that he'd nearly fallen she shouted her mum round and all I got for my trouble was a dirty look!!

[China Doll]

There are good mums, bad mums, mediocre mums and out and out abusive hideous mums... same as there's always been. We're probably just more aware of it these days.

[grasscarp]

Glad its not just me that worries Murray and others. There have been some terrible things happen in the past when parents let go of their child for a very short time. I tend to look at every child I see who is either crying or obviously alone and will not walk away until I see its ok. It is sad to see that some people dont realise or dont care about their responsibility as a parent.

[sunny-dave]

Try intervening if you're 6ft 2in male - just not worth the earache ... perhaps natural selection should take its course?

[ummmm]

40 years ago my Mum left my sister outside the post office and walked home without her. She said she had a feeling she'd forgot something all the way home!!

[sherrardk]

I once nearly drove off without my daughter, I had been shopping at the supmarket, got boy 1 and 2 into the car and started it up and realised I had left my daughter in the trolley (she was only four days old so I wasnt really on top form).

[grasscarp]

Sunny Dave and Pirate. Your comments are really quite worrying. So nowadays were are no supposed to watch out for youngsters! I was on the point of asking Customer Service to put out a tannoy. If they had refused I would not have let it go.

[grasscarp]

ummmm. My mother did exactly that, only more like 70 years ago. She had her first child (of six) and went home leaving her outside a shop in the pram. Once she was home she remembered and went back!!!!!

[ummmm]

It's not always the parents fault though. I was a nightmare child and it had nothing to do with my parents parenting skills. Let go of my hand and I was gone...

[ummmm]

You can't leave them outside shops anymore!!