Thanks to a stranger and a lesson

S

satay sue

Registered User
Saturday 31st March. Mini and his friend visiting from Singapore (both aged 7) managed to get separated from my friend and I on the Mid-levels escalator. We didn't know where they were for 20 minutes and it was quite distressing. A British man stopped when he saw they were upset, my friend's daughter knew her mother's phone number and the man called my friend (an international call!) to tell us where they were. Panic over! Thank you so very much to the kind man.
I am now teaching Mini my phone number in the (very unlikely) event that this ever happens again!
For those who would flame me for "losing" them, they were running ahead on the walk back from IFC, hiding, then jumping out on us. So at first we weren't alarmed when we couldn't see them. It seems they got to the bottom of the escalator - and just kept going! We thought they were hiding somewhere around the Central Market building but they'd gone up. I had called Mr SS who started walking down from our place, hoping that he'd spot them. It was Mr SS who met the man who helped, we didn't get the chance to thank in person.
 
Scary - I'm always so worried that would happen to me. It would be SO easy to do in Hong Kong. I'm sure it has happened to MANY parents!! My daughter is 3.5 and fiercely independent. She now has an octopus card and I try to make her wear it when we are out (sometimes with more success than others). It has our phone numbers in it, just in case she does get lost. She's too young to know our phone number yet... So glad that your boy and his friend were ok!! Hopefully it taught them a lesson too... thanks for the reminder!!
 
3.5 isn't too young to know the phone number... if she knows her abc's or any other songs, she can know her phone number.

my kids learned my husband's number in english and chinese when they were around 2-2.5 years old.... it really helps my sanity to know that they know it if they need it.
 
My kids learnt my phone number at around 3 too just by hearing me saying it to people on the phone all the time. I was amazed the first time the eldest recited it to me. If my helper ever needs to contact me when I'm out we always get the kids to call so they are well practised at it.
 
Same here, my son memorized my mobile number at around 3.5yo. I also told him that in case he gets lost, he should look for "another mommy" and ask her to ring the number for him. (I know it was a man who helped SS, but somehow feel like a woman (mommy) might be a better choice.)
 
You know, you're probably right. She's very smart and knows a million songs in both English and Chinese (even though she doesn't even SPEAK Chinese)... I'll have to get on to teaching her that!!
 
Thanks to SS, we now have one other activity to do this Easter break - learn emergency numbers. We've spent the morning writing down & singing mummy's, daddy's &the 999 number. I've taught her how to dial our mobile numbers from the home phone & she'd hear all the funny ringtones from our phone. For practice, she'd go to one room, I'll hide in another & she'd call me up. She was so thrilled to have a chat on the phone! Great productive way to spend a morning.

Your incident has also taught us a valuable lesson. Thanks for sharing.
 
i am always scared that will happen. my daughter also learned my husbands telephone number at an early age. she woke up screaming the other night because she had a nightmare that we were on the mtr and she got off and the doors shut before i could, and that really got me thinking, because it could so easily happen on a busy mtr where people don't get out of the way. when she was a baby it almost happened because i was pushing the pushchair out of the mtr and the doors closed on my arms. luckily my husband was able to get his shoulder in between the doors and force them open but he ended up pretty bruised - those doors dont like to be opened! ANyway, i told her if that should happen, she should stay exactly where she is and i will come back to get her, but if she is left on then she should get off at the next station and wait on the platform for me to come and get her, and that if anyone tries to help she should tell them they can wait with her, but that she is not to move. is this the right thing to do? does anyone have any other suggestions?
 
marie313 said:
i am always scared that will happen.
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No point being scared as it *will* happen. Attribute it to active kids and be prepared for it. Fear wont help you but being prepared will.
... is this the right thing to do? does anyone have any other suggestions?
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Thats not a bad solution at all; there are many other ways including teaching the young one the way home. Pick one that is comfortable to both of you so when it does happen you are both equipped so you dont end up panicking.
 
Thanks to this thread, my daughter now knows my phone number! Not that I'm entirely confident that she would be able to tell a stranger to call me if she got lost, BUT it's better than her not knowing it at least ;) Thanks so much for the reminder!!
 
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