Stop abandoning your kids in my store!

When you work in a large retail store inside a shopping centre, you learn to expect that families will lose each other inside your store and it’s your job to reunite them. I get it; Timmy sees a toy he wants and bolts while Dad’s back is turned, or Mum walks into a new section while Sally is admiring something else. It happens, and I’m always happy to help. Well as the duty manager it’s my job to help, but I hate seeing distressed kids or parents worried about their children, and when the family is reunited it’s always a joy. What I DESPISE is when parents abandon their kids in the store and go about their shopping with no concern about the whereabouts or wellbeing of their kids!

Story Time; I had a little girl, about 4 or 5 years old, come up to me and ask for help because she lost her mum. She was distressed, so of course I drop everything to help find her parent/guardian. Sadly the girl was too young and scared to give me her mother’s name so I could do an announcement over our PA, or her phone number so I could try to call her. I get a basic description, but none of my team can see a women who matches it. Five minutes go by, no sign of Mum, so I call the security of the shopping centre so they can take the child. Mum may have already left my store, and they can observe the whole massive shopping centre. 1 HOUR later, and I hear over the radio that a woman is asking about a missing girl. Sure enough, it’s Mum, cool as a cucumber. Now, what was Mum doing in that hour between her daughter asking for help then Mum asking about her daughter? Mum was in our store the whole time, finishing her shopping as casually as you please, and only asked about her daughter once she’d paid and was ready to leave. Believe me, if I could’ve slapped the woman I would have, or at the very least told her off wrath-of-god style. I called centre security and told them we’d found Mum, so they came to collect her.

Saddest part is, that was not the first time that’s happened, nor the last time that night either. And so many times I see kids being left in our store, told to stay ‘there’ while the parent takes their time meandering through the store. Do these parents not realise what leaving your kids alone is inviting?!? There’s a reason I don’t announce about lost kids over the PA, only ever ask for ‘[name of parent] to come to the registers’. Stores are not kindergartens, not babysitters, and not playgrounds. While of course we keep our eyes out and try to be attentive, we’re not the police! Most of the staff are 18 or younger, the managers have better things to do than be constantly looking out for kids without adults, and there’s only so much we can do! If you’re going to bring your kids shopping, for goodness sake take responsibility for them! Because at the end of the day, if your child goes missing because you couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of minding them while you shopped for non-essentials, I have no sympathy for you. I understand it’s not easy being a parent, but don’t assume that the staff of the store you’re in are magically transformed into your personal babysitters the moment you leave your kids alone.