My niece got lost in the hypermarket....
By aseretdd
@aseretdd (13730)
Philippines
February 3, 2008 8:53pm CST
Well it was only for 15 minutes... but it scared the hell out of us...
My mother and i went to go grocecy shopping at the nearest hypermarket... we had to take my baby and niece with us because no one else was available to look after them... my baby rode the cart and my niece was suppose to hold my mother's hand... but like all children her age... she wants to walk alone...
Well, when the moment came that my mother needed to go to the other side of the hypermarket and i needed to get diapers and milk located at the other side...i thought my niece went with her and she thought she went with me... and when we finally met up... my niece was no where in sight...
We were so worried... and we started calling her name out loud... my mother was in the verge of tears... she went to one side and i went to another... then finally... i saw my niece walking... looking very worried... i called her and said..."Where have you been!"... "Looking for Nanay" (nanay means mother... that is what she calls her grandmother)... she said softly...
And when she was reunited with my mother... my niece cried like there was no tomorrow... well, it was only for 15 minutes... but with all those perverts on the loose... we were so scared that something bad has or might have happened to her...
Thank God it did not... have you ever experienced something like this?...
2 people like this
9 responses
@chrysz (1602)
• Philippines
4 Feb 08
My then 3-year-old daughter got lost in SM MAkati while we were buying bag. She was hiding in the "characters section" of the children's area and was even playing hide and seek with me and kept on saying "mommy, come and get me". Until suddenly, I can't hear her anymore. I went into panic and alerted the guards to look closely for a three-year-old kid wearing khaki cargo pants and white shirt and holding a small blue SM bag. I also asked the cashier to ask the costumer service reps to page for my daughter but the paging system was undergoing technical maintenance at that time. I asked every sales lady I met until a lady approached me that she saw a small kid in the stationary section of the department store, just standing there but looking so worried and on the verge of tears. A saleslady I have talked to took my baby and brought her to me since I don't wanna leave the characters' section. We both cried as we are reunited. My child said at once that she was looking for me but was so afraid when she did not saw me following her. I asked her why she left me and did not even tell me that she wanna go to another place. she said she thought I was following her and she saw a pen (I am a pen-addict) and she wanted to buy it for me. I cried harder when I heard it.
It was the most scary 30-minutes of my life!
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
4 Feb 08
Oh my... your daughter is 3 and my niece is almost 5 years old... i can just imagine how you felt when you cannot find her... that must have been the most terrifying moment of your life and even for you daughter...good thing the workers of that mall were quite helpful... thanks for sharing your story...
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
5 Feb 08
Oh my goodness, twice in a row... if that happens to me again... i will never ever take my niece or daughter in the mall... it might give me a heart attack...it is very difficult to keep an eye on kids like the whole time... especially when they are very young and very curious...
@chrysz (1602)
• Philippines
4 Feb 08
I was really so afraid especially when a security guard told me that it would be more difficult to find her if she had gone to another floor through the escalator but a sales lady told us that they are strict to kids roaming around alone so my kid would have to be just in the floor where I lost here.
It happened again two days ago while I was buying my youngest's diapers in a not so big grocery store here in Laguna. My eldest told me that she wants something to eat so I said she can get some but make sure to return to the diapers' section so she won't get lost again. At first, I was overseeing her from a distance as she chose from the biscuits and junkfoods and then suddenly, I can no longer see her again. I panicked again and tried looking for every section she'll possibly have gone. When I saw her, she was about to cry again and I asked her what she was doing from the frozen foods and beverages section and she said she wanted some yogust but she can't reached it. She was looking for me for about 3 minutes and she was then terrified because she can't locate me. Now she has learned to wait patiently while in the groceries and department. Good thing, the store is not that big and she already memorized almost every section in that place.
1 person likes this
@SViswan (12051)
• India
6 Feb 08
Oh, the poor thing would have been so scared!
I've always keep an eye on my son even when I have someone with me.
But I did get lost in the same way when I was younger....and all because I thought I was grown up (at 6 years) to hold my dad's hand. And the shopping centre where I was lost was crowded too. I remember getting a pinch from my dad when they found me!
1 person likes this
@SViswan (12051)
• India
7 Feb 08
I agree it's dangerous in today's world. Even places I know my 7 year old can walk to and he wants to...I can't let him go alone. I have to repeatedly tell him that it's not because I don't trust him...but the fact that he can be kidnapped or stray dogs can attack him. I don't like being too protective ...but in today's world I can't help it either.
Once my son was lost in the apartment complex where we live....he was only 3 and he was on one of the floors (there are a total of 7)...he would reply when I called but he couldn't tell me which floor he was on...and the worse thing was the topmost floor was still under construction and I was scared he would have climbed there...he could have fallen if he did. I called out to him to stay wherever he was and not move (which thankfully he did) and I climbed all the way up to the 7th floor and worked my way down till I found him!
Children are curious by nature and don't realize the dangers they could be in. I wish the place was more of a safe place that they could explore..but it isn't:(
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
7 Feb 08
That must have been an ordeal for you... good thing he stayed put when you told him to...children are very curious and active... we parents at chastised when they are... and some bad people tend to take advantage of this... i hate to admit that we always need to take extra precautionary measures just to protect our children...
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
7 Feb 08
From the look on her face when i found her... she was really scared... you reminded me of the time i got lost in the airport when my father was about to leave for abroad... i got tired of waiting and waiting... that i decided to explore the place... and got lost in the process... well, i didn't get pinched because my parent were so busy that they did not realize i was gone... and when i finally found them... i decided not to tell them about the little adventure that i had... well back them... the world seemed to be a safer place... but the present world is so different...
@djmarion (4898)
• Philippines
6 Feb 08
it really happens, i remember last christmas time, the same incident happened in SM mall here in our place. i was in the department store buying some gift items when i heard a young girl sobbing beside me. when i ask her why she said she's lost and she wants to see her mom, i bring her to the customer service and ask the people there to assist the kid. the personnel page the mother and after repeatedly.
i got scared too you know, i was also bringing my 3 year old niece then. good thing i did not loose her too or else her mother would kill me. :)
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
7 Feb 08
The thought of her mother worried sick about her lost daughter and what she will say to us... also came in my mind... good thing we immediately found her...i know now that the key is to never let go of their hand... eventhough they insist on walking by themselves... thanks for the response...
@cherriemae (3370)
• Philippines
4 Feb 08
yes, i had also experienced like that.. we had a beach outing with my friends and her family,and i bring my 3yr oddaughter..it was happened last January.. when we are eating our lunch, me and my daughter was sitting on the chair, then i decided to stand up to get some food, while i'm about to finish getting some food, my daughter was not there sitting, and i'm so worried because it's sunday and there are lots of people around..me and my friend and her family are wo worried, i called her name so loud, i go anywhere that i'm walking so fast..luckily, my friend's cousin seen her along the beach, he said that my baby was walking there while holding her sleepers.. i really hug my baby and i thank God she's alright..
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
4 Feb 08
Momentarily losing a child in a beach full of people is scarier than losing a child in a large supermarket or mall... one can easily alert the security in the latter...so that must have been an ordeal for you... good thing your found her fast... thanks for the response...
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
5 Feb 08
I am so glad that your neice was fine. What a scare you had.
I lost my son once for less than five minutes I was so scared. I did not know what to do but call his name.
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
5 Feb 08
I guess a lot of parents already experienced this type of nightmare... we are lucky that we were able to find our kids immediately... i fell sorry for those who have to undergo the misery for hours... days... weeks... and even months... thanks for the response...
@gersolt68 (25)
•
4 Feb 08
oh wow we have the same experience but on me, it was my 4th son. first he got lost in a flower festival here in our place and he was being paged by a policeman. the next one was when i brought him to the grocery store and he was so happy to be in a wide space that he ran to and fro and got lost. i felt the same way you and your mom felt. the worry and the "what if's" haunt us while still looking for them. i just want to share with you a very important thing, it's that we have to keep an eye on them always because we are the responsible ones. anyway, the experience made us more vigilant.
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
5 Feb 08
Getting lost during the flower festival must have been really really scary... i agree with you that since we are the responsible ones... we need to keep an eye on the kids all the time... and if we are not capable of doing that... then they have to stay at home... thank you very much for the response...
@subha12 (18441)
• India
4 Feb 08
We had similar experience last october. My niece was in super market with her dad and mom.
they were shopping with the child in hand. suddenly she somehow slipped away and my brother was so scared taht he started asking by her name loudly. after say 10 m inutes they could see her playing at a corner with a child of her age.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
4 Feb 08
Kids really have an innocent way of scaring parents...good thing she was just playing... i was also calling my niece out loud when we realized that we lost her... we didn't mind if other shoppers were looking at us... just so that she will hear our voice... thanks for the response...
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
4 Feb 08
Oh, that would be terrifying. I don't have any little ones to look after, but when shopping if I see a child wandering away I watch a bit when possible to make sure nobody approaches the child, especially if it is a little girl, and if the mother starts to panic, I will show here where her child went. I remember well not wanting to hold an adults hand when I was little, too, but at all times the safety of a child is more important, I think, than the child's preferences. It is hard to know when to hold on and when to let go, but if one must err, I would do it on the side of being overprotective.
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
4 Feb 08
Well, we all learned our lesson the hard way... i don't think my niece would refuse to hold my mother's hand or my hand the next time we go to grocery shopping or to the mall... i hope there will be more concern people like you... watching out for kids who are wondering alone... i will do that all the time now... thanks for the response...
@kbourgerie (8780)
• United States
4 Feb 08
Yes, it has happened to me and you are absolutely right. It is an absolutely terrifying experience. My son got lost in Sears. Security and half the mall were looking for him. Turned out he had fallen asleep inside a rack of clothing. I'm glad everything turned out ok for you.
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
4 Feb 08
I was quite ready to alert the security force and ask all employees to help us search... good thing we immediately found her... i can just imagine how you felt when you found your son... it must have been one of those hallmark moments... thanks for the response...
