[LisaCA]

yep, my 18 month old. we just entered JC penney's from the mall, heading toward the car, when dd decides to dart off into the women's clothing racks. I call her, look for her, nothing. after two minutes i go to the sales clerks and say "is there anyone that can help me find my toddler? she's missing!" and their reply? "ma'am, I'll be with you in just a moment" and she finishes with a customer. I left to look for dd. I go back to the clerk in a minute or two and the other clerk says "what's her name, I'll page her." I tell them she's 18 months, paging won't work, I need people to help look for her. they say "we'll call security". Okay, i run off to look for her, expanding my radius but not abandoning the entrance. Finally another clerk has her in tow and is looking for her mom. I say I'm her mom and the sales clerk says "you shouldn't let her alone-she's too young to be without her mom". duh. so I say "yes, I know, I've been looking for her and they called security." I also asked where she was found (1/2 the store length away btw) and was with a young boy who brought her to the clerk and said "she's looking for her mommy". So i found the young boy and thanked him profusely for doing such a good deed and that his parents should be very proud of him for helping out a young girl. Then I go tell sales clerks to call off security (mind you I hadn't seen any security yet and it had been at least 5 min.)

So the entire time dd wasn't scared, wasn't crying, was having a blast being pure evil. I know she heard me but didn't care. so mom left with her, explaining what she did was wrong, but knowing that she didn't care. ugh.

so yeah, I've aged 10 years in the past hour and I'm writing my "note" to JCPenney to thank them for their stellar service (major sarcasm here). imagine telling a mom to wait so the clerk can finish a checkout before calling security!

so I'm buying the harness leash now (the wrist leash she just takes off). This was her first dart away from mom ever and what a spectacular one!

[leaabc123]

OMG, is there anyway you can get that clerk's name and report her to a manager?
I thought all major stores had policies regarding missing kids on their property.

[joskimo]

I'm so sorry for you, I know the panic you were feeling and the images in your mind. Same thing happened to me with DD#1 when she was a toddler and the brain-dead sales clerk paged her. Duh. Think she'd know to listen? Think she'd understand the directions? Oh I was so furious with the store. So one of us stood at the entrance while the other searched.

She was in the front display window playing with the manequin. Oy!

[timni]

Wow what a day. I will just bet in a month or so your get a huge kick out of this story. I used to do that to my mother all the time. I am definetly not looking forward to the time dd first does it to me. I am glad everything worked out ok. So I guess it gots to show there is very little intelligent life behind the register at that store.

[LisaCA]

yeah, my sis and i were saying the same thing. I'll write the store suggesting that the managers go over the policy with all the clerks. I was so scattered that I left the store without getting names . they may have policies but if the staff doesn't know them then...

i know it's a right of passage for a mom and dad. every kid has to cause their parents a heart attack at least once during the toddler years. it's just harder on us older parents since our hearts are weaker .

thank goodness she's taking a nap so mom can get rid of the adrenaline rush .

[LisaCA]

Originally Posted by timni

Wow what a day. I will just bet in a month or so your get a huge kick out of this story. I used to do that to my mother all the time. I am definetly not looking forward to the time dd first does it to me. I am glad everything worked out ok. So I guess it gots to show there is very little intelligent life behind the register at that store.

if you can, go immediately to your mom and apologize. they wonder why moms look older than dads-geez!

[crick]

OMG! I cannot believe the lack of response on their part!!! I'd have been yelling "no, you will not be with me in a minute" OMG!

That's just horrible! So glad she's safe & sound and there are still good citizens in this world willing to help a lost child! Takes a young boy and not an adult to show that though?

[heartened]

Lisa, don't let this go - I don't remember the specifics, but it seems to me that the Amber Laws are very clear about how a store is required to respond in this situation. This isn't just a matter of bad customer service, this is a serious safety issue which needs to be addressed immediately.

I'm glad your daughter was ok. Sometimes it really does feel as if they have a little devil on their shoulders planning and plotting against you. LOL

[LisaCA]

Originally Posted by FH-heartened

Lisa, don't let this go - I don't remember the specifics, but it seems to me that the Amber Laws are very clear about how a store is required to respond in this situation. This isn't just a matter of bad customer service, this is a serious safety issue which needs to be addressed immediately.

I'm glad your daughter was ok. Sometimes it really does feel as if they have a little devil on their shoulders planning and plotting against you. LOL

yeah, i'm not going to let it go. it is really sad that things moved so slowly if at all. at some point it's not going to just be a toddler annoying her parents but an honest to goodness crime and then they'll be in deep trouble!

not sure how to push this-don't want to do the tv route, though it might be helpful to do so. ugh.

and that devil on her shoulder? in dd's case she's the devil herself and she spends 24/7 on scaring/torturing/driving mom crazy. at 18 months she's quite good at it (sigh). Cute as the dickens but really, really, really too smart for her own good.

[bluelidded]

Look up "Code Adam." Most stores have this policy, and if they don't, suggest it.

[MMC66]

You must have been scared to death. I know the panic that sets in within seconds when you cant see your child. It is just sickening. It makes you see those harnesses in a whole new light doesn't it?? I just use the lock-down mode in the stroller but I have seriously considered the harnesses, especially when the twins were this age.

Good for you - following up with Penneys, hopefully some good will come of it!!!!!!

Martha

[mamacrina]

Ya know...I used to work for a JCP. Sadly enough, I can believe that happened (money is more important than safety/welfare of a human being). It just makes me sick. I'm so glad she was found!

[qs mom]

Do not let it go! The store should have been shut down, no one allowed to leave until she was found. Regardless of whether she walked away or someone took her away.

As far as the harness, my son didn't like it. But, I bought a harness that is really cool at WalMart. It looks like a stuffed puppy backpack. It has a zipper part to make it a backpack. Mama hangs onto the 'tail' . It straps on like a harness. He feels like a 'big boy'.

Go back to that store and speak to the manager. Then go to the mall manager and voice your concerns about an anchor store's practices.

[Shoshana]

Actually, Lisa, I'm surprised you didn't age 50 years! 10 years for each minute missing doesn't seem unreasonable. Seriously, how frightening and maddening. I'm glad everything's okay now (except for the idiocy of the store personnel).

[LisaCA]

I'll have to ask dh how old I look now, lol. I'll have to brace myself for more grandma comments.

thanks for the tip about talking to the mall. I forgot all about contacting them too.

and thanks about the backpack harness. maybe dd will appreciate that better (not that I care about that at the moment ).