Parenting in parking lots

Me, being a person who possesses more than the average amount of common sense, thinks this issue shouldn’t even require any thought.

BUT I do shop in public places with people who clearly possess no common sense.

Today I witnessed a lady allow her 2 year old son to run out the door of the store I was shopping in. The little boy didn’t stop at the sidewalk. He continued to run into the parking lot.

Once he was about 4 steps into the parking lot she began to yell at him to stop.

Mom yelling stop meant nothing to this adorable little boy. He processed to run faster.

The mom then decided to run after him; making for a super fun game of, “catch me if you can.” I’m always up for a good game of tag with my son, but usually do so in the house or at the park NOT an extremely busy parking lot…. But that’s just me.

I was quite impressed with little dudes quickness and ability to weave in and out of the cars. Obviously, so was his mom, as she was laughing while calling his name and telling him to “stop” and “get over here”.

I stood on the sidewalk by the door and watched this go on for the longest 2 minutes of my life. I was thinking to myself, nothing good can come from this situation OR this parent -child relationship.

I started to walk toward my car, still keeping an eye on this feisty little guy, running between the cars in the parking lot. He stopped running and his mother had caught up to him between 2 parked cars. “Finally!!” I thought to myself, “she will grab him and put him inside whatever grocery getting mini van she was driving”

Wrong!

She said something inaudible to him and then he took off running again.

He was looking back at her as he bolted out from between the two cars …… At the same time a large Toyota SUV started backing out of the parking space directly across the aisle.

My heart sank! I knew there was no way the driver of the SUV could see this tiny little speedy kid running behind her car.

I yelled “STOP” as loud as I could and took off running towards the SUV/oblivious little child.

Somehow the driver noticed me and slammed on her brakes. Little boy wasn’t paying attention to either of us, and smashed the side of his into her tow hitch.

The mother came running over, yelling at the driver to watch where she was going.

My reaction… “Are you fucking kidding me?!?! Your precious child was almost run over by a car because YOU are a shitty mom. The first thing we teach our children is to watch for cars and not play near traffic. News flash Einstein, a parking lot is “traffic”. You are lucky he wasn’t seriously injured or killed because you do not have control of him and think it is a fun game to play keep away in a fucking parking lot”!

I’m sure I called her a few more names, but don’t exactly remember as my adrenaline was pumping and I was beyond irritated.

Common Sense!!

Hold children’s hands in parking lots / near traffic.

Most vehicles (that aren’t equipped with air bags that slam them to the ground) can NOT see children/ pets when they run behind them.

Playing catch me if you can in parking lots not only teaches unsafe behavior it also teaches the child that when they don’t listen, you play a game.