What do u do when your child is lost??

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Every parent’s nightmare – a missing child.

While I’ve been among the lucky ones *Touch wood* , Lil P has always been a very righteous kid.. Shez a gentle soul who obeys instructions to the core. Normally I don’t have to be scared of her hurting herself or venturing too far away on her own. Its her basic behavior. She’s always been a very careful baby. Rt from the time she learnt walking, she would be oh so careful to find a soft spot before she would plop herself down. No running wildly no climbing balconies.. Gosh I find it difficult to get her excited about the monkey maze too. Shes always been like that. Maybe too mature for her age.

Ok coming back to the point. One can never really be prepared for this. Yesterday we were at Bangalore central shopping – I was busy talking to the salesman about an exchange assuming Lil P was with hubby and Hubby ventured around thinking Lil p was with me. They were playing the om shanti om song and I saw lil p dancing from the corner of my eye. It was diwali night and the place was really crowded. The next moment shes gone.. I started calling out her name and searched to one side and hubby started searching  the next.. No reply. Almost frantic we asked every1 around. My biggest fear was that she had climbed up the escalator on her own. Just then we heard the DJ announcing that Lil P was with them and her father’s name was so-n so and we should come n pick her. I had tears in my eyes. It was barely 5 mins and my heart had stopped. We ran to the aisle and there she was. a Lil weepy but calm nevertheless.
Apparently she had gone upto the lady at the escalator and told her she was lost.  My name is Lil P n my dad’s name is P. Please ask him to come. She even blurted out his mobile number.

I have had a talk with her on many occasions [after priyanka’s exp with aashna] how she should not run away at crowded places and should stay closer to mummy or pappa as shes too small to be noticed in a crowd. I have also made it a point that she knows my hubby’s full name, her name, and hubby’s mobile number verbatim. She can repeat that in her sleep too. I also had a talk once with her on what she should do if shes lost.

1. If you can’t see mummy or pappa near you, you are lost. 
2. Stop any aunty, tell her you are lost and your name is lil P . 
3. Tell them pappa’s name and number. They will call us and we will pick you up very fast. 

 I am so thankful for having had this talk before. She remembered it and told the staff exactly what I had told her to.  I also keep my hubby’s or my visiting card in her school bag, day care bag, in her sweater pocket at all times. I’m paranoid that way. Once we had her back I again repeated that she should stick close to us. No running away on your own. Mumma n pappa will miss you.  Told her that we were very happy that she told them her name n pappa’s name. Phew! I think I should stick to our routine of having Hubby take care of lil p at home while I shop and me n Lil P at home while hubby shops. Faster n def stress free.

What would you have done differently?? Do you know any good story book that teaches the concept of strangers? or what to do when you are lost kinds??