We went to the mall today to buy something exciting!! SOCKS!! (totally not part of the story, I just wanted to show you how pathetic we are.)
As we walked into the mall we saw a little boy running around crying looking like he lost his family.
So we stopped him and tried to help. He couldn't find his mom and wasn't listening to me very well and kept running off. I stuck with him and tried to take him to the information desk, but finally he spotted his family and ran off.
PHEW!
I thought it would be a good opportunity to sit down with the kids and talk to them about what to do if they ever get lost at the mall.
We sat down in the food court and told them to find a mall worker and tell them that they lost their family and not to panic and run around like that little boy was.
We then practiced memorizing mommy's telephone number so they could tell the information desk the number to call.
Then, something ridiculous and scary happened.
We lost Samantha!!!!
We took the kids to the treehouse to play which is right next to Payless Shoes. Andy and I went into Payless and after about 2 minutes I asked Andy to go check on the kids. He did, he saw them both and chatted with them and then came back to the store. About 2 minutes later I asked Andy to get Alex so I could try some shoes on him. Alex came running and I proceeded to attempt fitting shoes on him (NOT the easiest thing to do!). I noticed Andy pacing back and forth by the treehouse with a worried look. He came into the store and told me he couldn't see Samantha. I left him to pay for the shoes and I went into the women's restroom to check for her. Nothing. We went into a couple of stores. Nothing. Searched all over the treehouse again. No Samantha.
So, we started to freak out a bit.
Andy ran down to the last store we had been at and called me to say she wasn't in there. Then he saw her - sitting on the counter at the information desk. No tears, just sitting calmly.
As Alex and I made our way down to them I got on the floor with her and asked her what happened. I guess we forgot to mention to her that we were just in the shoe store close by and when she couldn't see us or Alex, she figured she was lost! Like a good little girl she found a mom and told her she was lost. The mom helped take her to the information desk where Andy found her a minute later.
Ummmmm, SCARY!!!
It was awful but she did SO great and did exactly what we told her to do, so I was proud. She wanted me to carry her around the rest of the time which I was just fine with!! My sweet princess!
Then we went for pizza and ice cream.
All was fine after that.
As we walked into the mall we saw a little boy running around crying looking like he lost his family.
So we stopped him and tried to help. He couldn't find his mom and wasn't listening to me very well and kept running off. I stuck with him and tried to take him to the information desk, but finally he spotted his family and ran off.
PHEW!
I thought it would be a good opportunity to sit down with the kids and talk to them about what to do if they ever get lost at the mall.
We sat down in the food court and told them to find a mall worker and tell them that they lost their family and not to panic and run around like that little boy was.
We then practiced memorizing mommy's telephone number so they could tell the information desk the number to call.
Then, something ridiculous and scary happened.
We lost Samantha!!!!
We took the kids to the treehouse to play which is right next to Payless Shoes. Andy and I went into Payless and after about 2 minutes I asked Andy to go check on the kids. He did, he saw them both and chatted with them and then came back to the store. About 2 minutes later I asked Andy to get Alex so I could try some shoes on him. Alex came running and I proceeded to attempt fitting shoes on him (NOT the easiest thing to do!). I noticed Andy pacing back and forth by the treehouse with a worried look. He came into the store and told me he couldn't see Samantha. I left him to pay for the shoes and I went into the women's restroom to check for her. Nothing. We went into a couple of stores. Nothing. Searched all over the treehouse again. No Samantha.
So, we started to freak out a bit.
Andy ran down to the last store we had been at and called me to say she wasn't in there. Then he saw her - sitting on the counter at the information desk. No tears, just sitting calmly.
As Alex and I made our way down to them I got on the floor with her and asked her what happened. I guess we forgot to mention to her that we were just in the shoe store close by and when she couldn't see us or Alex, she figured she was lost! Like a good little girl she found a mom and told her she was lost. The mom helped take her to the information desk where Andy found her a minute later.
Ummmmm, SCARY!!!
It was awful but she did SO great and did exactly what we told her to do, so I was proud. She wanted me to carry her around the rest of the time which I was just fine with!! My sweet princess!
Then we went for pizza and ice cream.
All was fine after that.
7 comments:
I can totally picture her sweet little face as she sat there calm as can be at the info desk....yah, next time, tell her where you are...hehehe we always forget those little details.
That has to be the most panicky feeling when you can't find your child immediately. Good for her in following Mom's instructions.
Go Samantha!..I can just see her explaining very calmly to some mom, that "if my parents get lost, I'm supposed to go to the lost kids desk" lucky they didn't feed her a bunch of candy and stuff or she'd be "getting lost" on a regular bases-LoL
I'm glad Samantha kept her cool! I hate that feeling of wondering if I should start to panic if I can't see one of my kids. But that's awesome that she learned the lesson so quickly! I had a girl (probably 9 or 10 years old) approach me recently in a grocery store and tell me she couldn't find her mom. I was kind of taken by surprise but then started to ask her about her mom's name, appearance, etc. Fortunately, the mom came down that aisle a couple of minutes later, but I did think it was an interesting idea - this girl had obviously been taught to look for a mom with kids if she was ever lost. Because that Mama Bear instinct definitely kicks in and you want to help a lost kid get returned to her mom.
So scary!!!! We've lost Mason twice now, once in Disneyworld (that was awful) & once at the Scarecrow festival (this was actually funny since they gave him a pumpkin while he waited for me).
What a smart kid you have.
ugh - - it gives me the jitters just to read that. I've never 'lost' a kid for more than 3 or so minutes but it is the worst feeling in the world. Glad she was a smartie and knew just what to do. Good for her!
ummm...scary story and all, but I am mostly impressed that you went to the mall for socks. I go to Target or Wal-mart....anywho...just thought i would add my two cents....
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