Lost my 7 year in woolies a week past Saturday!
Me, hubby and two boys (8 and 7) walking through the shopping centre when we got perstered for a trip into woolies- I thought that they had both belted off ahead and I could see 8 year old on escalator heading for toys - I caught up with him and thought that little bro had beaten him up the escalator, but there was no sign of him. As there is no down escalator - I am then shouting back down to my husband at the bottom and asking if he is with him - apparantly not, so he starts searching downstairs while I have to double back to the other end of the shop to get down the stairs. We headed for the door with husband in the lead - back into the shopping centre only to spot my husband walking back with him - he hadn't gone into the shop, just wanled right past and then suddenly realised he was on his own and started howling. A lady asked if if he was okay and called a security guard. At which point my husband had spotted the sleeve of bright blue top he was wearing sticking out from the side of a big display stand.
He was really upset and I think he has learned his lesson to stay close by. He knows the town centre well (it's not big), and he knows to wait by the doors or find a security guard, but we were all in a panic. When I was that age, I used to go into the centre of Edinburgh on the bus with my friends, but I think he is a bit more sheltered!
Hope it all turned our well in the end.