Missing Toddler

AlexsPajamaMama wrote: Missing Toddler Found in Warren
WARREN, Maine -- A 2-year-old girl who went missing into the woods Monday night has been found alive and well in the midcoast town of Warren. Game wardens say Katie Grant was found shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday following a massive search by more than 100 police, game wardens, volunteers and others. Police say the girl was a little scratched up, but was in good shape. The girl and her family, who are from Sanford, were in Warren visiting friends. Police say the girl was playing with her mother in front of the home when the mother went inside to help with dinner at about 7:30 p.m. Monday. When the mother went back outside, the girl was missing. Police say the girl is thought to have followed a puppy and an adult dog into the woods. The adult dog returned to the home Monday night, but the girl and the puppy did not.

AlexsPajamaMama replied: Who leaves their two year old outside alone!?
Thats all I will say to that!
I'm glad to hear that she was found, maybe that Mommy will learn a lesson from all of this!

Bee_Kay replied:
ITA!

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: I wouldn't have left Logan outside for a million bucks. He would have come in with me, probably kicking and screaming, but he'd be in nonetheless.
I am glad that she is okay and only a little scratched up. That could have turned out so much worse.

ZandersMama replied: OMG a two year old outside alone is scary enough but in an area where she isnt used to as well. Id never leave my son in a yard alone. period. but imagine in an area where you dont even know the neighborhood.

C&K*s Mommie replied: It is still normal for many parents/grandparents to leave kids outside alone. Their sense of security has not been shattered since that is likely the way they grew up, since a young age.

Glad she was found alive.

moped replied: Yikes - never owuld have left the child outside in the first place!

holley79 replied:
That's exactly what I was thinking when I got to the part.

Did they ever find the puppy? I'm horrible, sorry.

redchief replied:
If our town is any indication... hundreds of thousands of parents leave their youngsters outside alone, and often.

We do at least 20 missing child searches per year and the story is always the same... "I only went in for a minute; he was outside playing fine. When I got back he was gone!" Fortunately we don't permanently lose too many of them.

TheOaf66 replied: we don't even let Tanner out in the yard unless we are out there with him and he is 4, some people just don't get it when it comes to parenting they should be fined and then have to do something for all the people that had to look for the girl.

BAC'sMom replied:

exactly! Glad they found her!

Lalaena replied: My daughter is 2, and I have a 4 month-old. I've had to take him inside to do a diaper change, and let her continue to play in our backyard (fenced in). I'm still paranoid, though, and watch her through the window while I'm taking care of him. (This has resulted in more than one pee-pee sprays!)

I guess I can see where if it's "just for a second" you'd think the child would be okay. My 2 year-old (like a lot of others her age) seems so independent and capable. But she's still a baby, and I never let myself forget that, because I don't know what I'd do if I was the one looking frantically for my precious girl.

Hopefully this mom and many other parents will learn from the mistake!

AlexsPajamaMama replied: It only takes a split second for them to take off
No matter what
It's the same, IMHO as leaving them in a store to go look at something else....

Kaitlin'smom replied: I know some areas parents do this but me being a city girl NO way would I leave my daughter alone outside, espically if I were someplace unknown to her.

MommyToAshley replied: So glad the girl was found and was ok.

I have to agree with others, I don't let Ashley out alone. We have a fenced back yard and I am still out there with her every minute... too many things can happen too quickly. I don't care any more if people call me paranoid, at least police won't be doing a search for her.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Totally agree as well! That is what I was thinking!

AlexsPajamaMama replied: Just a little update
There was an article in todays newspaper about this
She was found sleeping with the little puppy under a tree
So the puppy was found too!

DansMom replied: I grew up in that part of Maine: it's very rural, farm land and country roads, neighbors few and far between, everyone knows everyone, not very touristy because it's not right on the coast, and people are very relaxed there. I even remember wandering from my own house and getting lost in the woods a few times. Very scary to think how lost a kid can get, though. I'm glad to hear the girl and puppy were found.

ions_momma replied:
ITA!