Lost Boy
September 2, 2009 by Kailani
Filed under daily life, random thoughts
Earlier this week I had a doctor’s appointment. When I was done, I was waiting for the elevator when I heard a child crying for his mommy. It was so loud that I thought it was coming down from the hallway. However, when the elevator door opened there was a little 3 year old boy inside all by himself.
He was lost and scared.
I was already running late to pick-up Girlie Girl from school to take her to piano class but I knew I had to help him. I took him to the parking lot attendant to see if he could call the building security. Unfortunately, there was none. I wasn’t sure what to do with this little boy and the parking attendant didn’t seem to want to help me.
I knew most of the pediatric doctors were located on the second floor so I told the parking attendant where I was going in case his mom came looking for her son. I decided that if I couldn’t find her in the next 5 minutes, I would call the police. We went back into the building and I went door-to-door to see if anyone recognized the boy. Finally, his mom walked in looking for him. Thank goodness! She had talked to the parking attendant who told her where I was.
I don’t know how long this little boy was riding up and down in the elevator before I found him but I can’t even imagine thinking my child was lost for even a second. What a nightmare for that mom! She told me she was talking to the receptionist and didn’t notice that her son had walked out of the office.
Sometimes it’s so easy to get distracted when you’re out in public with your young children and this was definitely a wake-up call for me. I’m just glad that everything worked out in the end.
Comment spotlight by Lorie Shewbridge: Good thing it was you, Kailani that found him and not some weirdo! That was something I always worried about when my boys were little. Whenever one of mine wandered off (which only happened once with each of them) after I hugged them to death… I them scared the heck out of them with the “what ifsâ€.
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Owner of An Island Life and Family Review Network. Wife, mother, and flight attendant . . . living a blessed life in Hawaii. |
That is one of my biggest fears, losing track of my little ones. I hope that the mother truly understood how fast something could have happened to her child in different circumstances! Glad you were there to keep the child safe. Great job! =)
.-= Felicia B.´s last blog .. =-.
He must have been so scared! Glad you were there to look out for him….
.-= Teri´s last blog ..wordless wednesday: The three amigos =-.
I’ve had lost child experiences before (where I had to help the child or the parent) and both are frankly terrifying for me. Thank goodness I’ve only lost my child three times…once she was she was just looking around the clothing racks at a store, 2nd time she had gone off with her cousins w/o telling me, 3rd time she went off with her friends w/o telling me.
I’m sure that little boy must have been so scared and I’m so glad you helped.
typing this out reminds me that I need to have a chat again with DD about the telling me part. I think after the last time she might have gotten it as I was so furious because I was so scared. But I need to be sure.
Yeah… we lost our oldest when he was about 2. We were at the mall and he was playing in the clothing racks. I could still see his feet, so I thought it was okay. He started to run off and I lost track of him in the racks and racks of clothes. My Hubby and I were calling to him, but he didn’t want to be found so he kept running. Soon, he couldn’t hear us and started to panic… but couldn’t find his way out of the clothes. One of the associates in the store found him about the same time we asked another associate to help us look. We were lucky… it scared all of us to death! He didn’t wander off again and I didn’t take him anywhere without the stroller!
.-= Melissa´s last blog .. =-.
That was a definite worry for us too. I know that using a halter style “leash” makes people think that a parent is unfit but honestly? We would have totally lost not just our son but our daughter as well. Not due to inattention but rather to my kid’s abilities of slipping away.
So glad that you were there & able to help.
.-= Sues2u2´s last blog ..Phone guts =-.
It’s a good thing you were there! I’m always so afraid of one of my girls walking off. I’ve been in Walmart, twice, when there was a code Adam. My heart went in my throat. Thankfully, both times ended good.
How scary! So glad you were there for both of them.
Hugs,
Holly
.-= Holly Schwendiman´s last blog ..The Balancing Act =-.
Oh that is just so scary!!! I was just at Sesame Place and all of a sudden a little girl at the Big Bird show was crying and calling out for her mommy. It turned out her mom had left her there to watch the show while she went to grab something and she was just around the corner but the poor girl was so scared!!!
.-= Upstatemomof3´s last blog ..Can You Tell Me How To Get To Sesame Place =-.
Oh my goodeness Kailani! The mother and son were so incredibly lucky. It could have turned out differently had you not been there. It scary what a difference a few seconds can make.
.-= Cathi´s last blog ..Aloha Friday – Sleepy =-.
Cathi, I was thinking the same thing… good thing it was you, Kailani that found him and not some weirdo! That was something I always worried about when my boys were little. Whenever one of mine wandered off (which only happened once with each of them) after I hugged them to death… I them scared the heck out of them with the “what ifs”.
On behalf of the mom, and all the other moms in the world, Kailani, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!!!!!
.-= Lorie Shewbridge´s last blog ..It’s NOT Swine Flue – YIPPEE!!! =-.
What a good thing you were there to take care of the boy until his mother found him! I bet she was getting pretty panicky by the time she found you- it’s terrible having this happen, both for child and parent!
-Patricia
Oh poor little guy! He must’ve been so scared! So glad someone nice like you found him and were able to help him find his mom. Totally scary, I wonder how he got separated from his mom…my kids would’ve been terrified…I got chills just reading your entry!
mainlandmama at gmail dot com
How scary to be that child & mom. You are such a good person for trying to find his mom. There needs to be more people out there like you! {pat on the back}
.-= Nicolle B.´s last blog ..Fluff Butt Event over @ The 1st Time Around =-.
LOL…. I am only laughing because my son did that 18 yrs ago in kailua, Pediatrician ‘s office.. I just now reminded him of it after reading your blog.. ugh it wasn’t funny then..I had his 2 older sisters and a little sister and they are all very close in age and I had to run down the stairs with them to get him from the elevator when it went down..ahhh he is going to be 21 this month..lol its not funny then but it is now with this reminder..Its too scary..
Oh my goodness! How scary for that little boy and his mom! Yes, it is a scary world, and I am so glad you found him, too! Little kids don’t understand how easily they can get far from their parents if they wander off. Thanks for sharing this with us~~ just a great reminder to keep closer tabs on our children.