I'm sorry but your pick THIS TIME to give them some freedom???

To be honest if you were parked in the front row like you said, why not just walk them with the cart to your car? They won't melt, it's raining, so what, all 3 or 4 hold on to the cart and walk to the car. I would NEVER in a million years think that it would be a good idea to leave my kids standing alone with the cart and my kids are GREAT listeners and would do as their told. But it takes one second for a kid to wiggle enough, fall in to the cart and the cart start rolling, with children attached and you have an accident...

I'm sorry Megan, but I think you need to rethink your time to let them have more freedom, this wasn't one of them!


Michelle

Tyler - 19-college bound-Oh My!
Steph - 17
Ayden, Ryley & Dylan - 5 ~33wk2d~

I am going to be honest and say that I thought the same thing. This is when you decide to let go a bit?

I know at our Sams people are always pulling up to the front to load up big stuff, usually halfway on the sidewalk, and when it is raining, they seem to do it even more. Also, our Sams tends to have a lot of nitwit drivers. At 5 years old, I wouldn't have left them to go get the car. I think I give my kids lots of freedom and they are very independent. However, I am still very careful around cars and in parking lots.

Having said that, it would have been nice if the lady could have been a nice older worman that remembered the struggles of being a Mom with young kids and just stood there with them until you returned and dropped the angry lecture.

Cindy
Paul and Andrew
Kristen, Rachel and Michael

Megan, my girls are a month older than yours and there is NO WAY I would pick a time like that to let them have a taste of freedom. We are just barely doing 10 minutes in the backyard by themselves for them to have some independence.

As Michelle said, what's wrong with a little rain? My kids love being in the rain. There were just way too many things to go wrong in the situation you described. I'm glad nothing happened, but I would have been concerned just like the lady was.

Wow.

Michelle
ggg born March 15, 2005
35.2 wks

I wouldn't have done it. The lady should not have talked with your kids or tried to move them. But I never in a million years would have left my kids like that.

You said the risk was minimal. Why put your kids at risk at all?

mom to:
Ryan 32 The Lawyer
Jason 30 The Chief Meteorologist
Chris 30 The College Student
Tim 30 The college grad

I love hearing their versions of their childhood memories!!

The other day, at Wal*mart, I picked a really good spot across from the cart rack and I walked the kids over, all holding hands. It was near the front and the stop sign was right there. The cart was behind it. I moved the cart after I got two of my girls in and as I got the third one in a dump truck backed up into the stop sign and it crashed to the ground. (They were putting in new sidewalks). It happened literally where I had just had the cart and moved it to get my third baby in...

My point, you just never know and I was there the whole time. If I hadn't been there and something awful had happened, I would never forgive myself.

Sometimes, common sense has to dictate situations and this was not the time I would have picked to provide my girls an opportunity to invite trouble. Parking lots, roads, and public areas, in general are totally my clamp down places. I just wouldn't have done it...




Jamye

No. I wouldn't have ever done that, but I would not have called CPS on you. I wouldn't have done it because my kids would never in their lives stand there obediently and wait for me. The thought of my wild monkeys just standing there makes laugh. They would have piled in the basket and Gregory would have taken them sailing across the parking lot.

Good for your kids for standing up to the strangers, but I think it was a bad idea.

Michele
Sarah, Gregory, Amanda
born 1/22/04 at 35w1d

Our surprise baby Austin born 06/15/2005

www.fourtimesthefun.blogspot.com

I think maybe this was just a momentary lapse in judgement. This probably wasn't the best time to start feeding your little ones their first tastes of freedom. But we've all made mistakes!



Jennie
Proud mom to BBB born 09-02-03 @ 32.2 wks
and 13 yr old big brother
and 3 yr old little brother

My girls are 3 months older and also very well-behaved in public. I personally wouldn't have done that, but not because I don't trust my children. It's OTHER people I don't trust.

I was just at Target last week, walking with 4 kids hand-in-hand IN THE CROSSWALK when an elderly lady zoomed around the corner and ignored two stop signs to come plowing past me and into a handicapped spot. She was about five feet from me when I pushed the kids backward.

(I told her "Feel free to ignore those stop signs... they're just for looks anyway" as she got out of her truck, LOL.)

Just an FYI, my husband used to work security detail for Target and heard all about country-wide incidents where children were molested/stolen one aisle away from a parent. It's more common than you think. It only takes about ten seconds for someone to move in and walk away with a child. What if that "concerned Grandma" was a sick pedophile who just grabbed a kid and ran?

There's just too much that can go wrong. In the bigger picture, I'd rather let my kids have fun in the rain for 30 seconds and get a little wet than regret leaving them on their own like that.

Loren
GGG Jan.2005 @ 28wks

Sweetened Taters - http://sweetenedtaters.blogspot.com

Hell to the NO!!! This should be entitled "a little freedom IN THE PARKING LOT?!?"

Really, you are UBER strict with your children and cautious and all and you choose the parking lot at a store to give them independence?

I'm with one of the previous posters - why couldn't you just run them to the car if it was parked so closely?

Not the smartest thing ever done, but then again, nothing that I would call CPS for.

Melanie
BGB born at 32 weeks in 2005

Nope Never! My kids are 8 years old and I don't think I would do it. I don't trust other people. Not to mention....what if some crazy person came driving into the pull up recklessly and hit them? I know the chances are slim. But that is the stuff that goes through my mind. Parking lots are just dangerous places...especially for small children because of their height first and foremost. What if one of them dropped something and it rolled into the street....are you 100% sure they wouldn't go after it?? I know my kids wouldn't think twice even though I have told them 10,000 times never to do so. I would never just assume that strangers would watch my children because they over heard me giving them directions on not to move.

Anyway, I think you already know the answer to your question. You wouldn't have posted looking for reassurance if you thought it was the right thing to do.


Terri~
12/21/01 at 33 weeks

No, no, no way would I have done this. I am all about letting my kids learn a little freedom and independence, but this was not the place to do it.

I was cringing thinking about how scary it must have been for your kids to stand there alone amongst all those people and then have the woman questioning them.

It was just rain---my kids purposely go out in the rain and look for the biggest, muddiest puddles to get soaked in. They would have been fine walking quick with you in the rain or you all should have waited it out together if you didn't want to have them walk in the rain.

Shiloh--Proud Mom to:
BGG born 2/04
B born 7/06

Megan~

I don't want to make you feel badly about your decision, but no. This was not a good teachable moment for a freedom lesson.

It's not just a weirdo issue, but really anything can happpen.

I understand what you're saying about all the "safe" people that were around you and your kids, but still. I wouldn't want to depend on them in the event something happened.

And I'm sure it wasn't an issue of your kids obeying.

I just want everyone near me just in case. An old lady could hit the accelerator instead of the brakes. Anything can happen. You just never know.

There's a beautiful happy medium to being over-protective and permissive as parents. No doubt about it.

Lisa

I think you're fine, don't worry about the older lady. Everything turned out fine and you're right, you are teaching your children responsibility.

This was nothing like the lady who I recently saw who left her 2 year old strapped in the carseat and then went into the Safeway for 45 minutes before coming back out. I timed it and yes I called the cops and yes they arrested her.

Kim
Nate, Nick & Noel(36w4d)and Nia.

<a href="http://www.tickercentral.com"><img border="0" src=""></a>


http://www.tickercentral.com>

No, I wouldn't have left my kids there by themselves. I would've waited out the rain until it slowed down. A better alternative then leaving you kids alone would've been to ask one of the Moms that was waiting if they could do you the favor of watching your kids for 1 minute.

Yesterday I was on a field trip with my dd's class and while I was waiting close to the restroom, this man asked me if I could take his 4 year old dd to the restroom since he couldn't go in. He instructed me that she could do everything by herself but just needed a little supervision. I was happy to help him.

Gloria

I'm sure you feel ganged up on, but I have to reiterate, it was not good judgement.

Have I done things that were poor judgement before, yes, no question about it, but in this situation, that would not have been one of them, especially at such a young age. Mine were and are good listeners too, but it would not have been them I would have worried about, it would be other people.

So live and learn, and thankfully nothing happened.


http://teensandtriplets.com
Wiltrip Mom with 5
2 teens & BBG - school age and easier than the teens!

Wouldn't have done it.

Deb
Son, 12
GGB, 10

I also don't want to make you feel bad. What's done is done but NO WAY would I have done that.
Your kids just turned 5 and you have one that is not even 4.
At first I thought, maybe if they were like 8 or 9. But then again maybe not.
The thing is, all it takes is one low life, pedophile, monster to notice your UNATTENDED 3 year old to sweep in and make his move. And then what would you have done, left 3 kids alone for whp knows how long to chase after one?
And as far as the other people waiting, and the Sam's employees, they could have been whackos too!


Gina mom to BBG born 2-4-03 at 37 weeks
and surprise baby boy 11-21-07

I don't think this is a big deal at all. There are no more crazy child-snatchers now than there were 50 years ago. If anything, people are more hyper-vigilant about it and more likely to step in and stop someone (i.e., 20 witnesses at rush hour). With that said, I probably would have asked a nearby waiting mom if she would just keep an eye on them for good measure.

Sarah

There is NO WAY I would have ever left my kids at 4 and 5 years old outside of Sam's Club to go and get the car. It's rain for crying out loud! Will they melt???

I remember a mom on here that left her kids in the car and ran into the ice cream store and back out again. She could see her car and kids the whole time and you guys ripped her a new one. This is no different!!

I agree that there are no more child molesters and kidnappers than there were 50 years ago but I can gaurantee you that if our parents and grandparents would have known what they know now they wouldn't have done it either. It's just like cigarettes. They didn't know they were dangerous and caused cancer before, now we know better but does that mean we should do it anyway because those before us did? NO.

Use a little common sense people! I wouldn't call CPS but I probably woul d have given you an earful for leaving them alone. It's not like you were running into a dangerous situation and your kids were safer where they were, it was only a little rain.

Hmmmmm....I'm just not seeing that this is as big of a deal as everyone is making it out to be. I don't know if I would have made the same choice that you did, but I'm also not sure that I wouldn't have. It sounds like the 'old bag' was just trying to cause trouble and make herself feel important. Really, if she was that worried about your kids, she would have just stood there for a minute to make sure that they were ok until you came back instead of trying to force them in the store...who does that with someone else's kids??? Weird! I really don't think that leaving 5 year olds for 1 minute is unreasonable. Assuming they are safe from traffic and you are certain they can handle it, I agree with you that they are safe.

Kelly
Ben, Jack & Drew 05/28/02
Charlie 07/06/06
Aunt to: Liam, Aidan & Connor 03/05/08
www.outnumberedmommy.blogspot.com

I don't see what you did was that bad at all. Since you were in a semi controlled environment and there were employees around, I would bet your kids were safe. Knowing me, if I heard you talking to your kids about what you expected I would have kept my eye on them (while I was waiting for the rain to stop ) More than likely I would have talked to the lady who was trying to make them go inside.

I wonder if we were stuck in the same storm?!?! Only while I was trying to keep my house from flooding the kids were wrecking the house inside!!!

Suzan

g/g/b August 21, 2005
my miracle 24 weekers!!!!

So here is what I ran into at the store a few hours ago...I was walking by the handicapped section of the parking lot and headed for the entrance to the grocery store when I heard "Hello there! Hello! Hi!". I didn't look at first but kept hearing it so I finally spun around. There were three girls inside a van, the oldest was maybe 8 tops, and they were playing with the power windows, hanging out the windows and waving to me. There was no adult in sight and the motor was running. I am assuming the calling out to other shoppers part was not okay with the parent, wherever they were, but obviously the parent left the car running with 3 untethered kids inside. Scary!

Allison

Mom to:
Madeline 09/2001
Jack, Evan & ^Alex^ 03/02/2008 @ 26 weeks

My oldest will be nine next month and the trips seven, and I have never left them like this nor have I left them in a car while I ran into a store. I am 99.9% sure that my kids would obey . . . unless something interesting came along!
Ali
Jack, 8 1/2
Abraham, Dylan and Zane 6 1/2
and now . . . . Tobias, new last June!