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Now, I will admit here, this may be controversial. I am not a parent, and I do know that sometimes things can come up, and the kids in the story weren't overly young but still.
Around 4:15 pm, two girls come in. One is here for a sight test and is meeting her mother here. She is under 16, so can't have a test without a guardian present. Her test is at 4:35, so she's left it with plenty of time. At 4:30 she starts to become worried- her mum isn't here yet. We try and call the mum- the phone doesn't want to connect to her phone.
By 4:45 the girls are very upset. I track down the home number and try that. No answer. I try the mobile again. Success! But it rings, and after six rings goes to voice mail. I keep trying. The younger girl is almost in tears.
At 5:05 I take the girls upstairs, see if there is ANY way we can do the sight test. No. I ring the numbers again,. Again. Again. Leave messages. 5:15 I start rubnning around makiing everyopne who is there aware of the issue so we can do smething if the mother isn't there by close (7). Ring again. Both numbers. Ring again.
#5:25 she turns up, swans in like she hasn't a care in the world.
She 'lost track of the time'. Lost track of the time in a city where there is a clock in every shop, and on most surfaces? I can understand losing 15 minutes, but an hour? Never mind that, lost track of time so BADLY you left two thirteen year old children on their own in a strange place for an HOUR while you ambled around the shops? They were in tears! They thought something had happened to you! And don't you DARE tell me your phone was off, it rang before it went to voice mail, you just didn't want to answer it.
To answer the inevitable questions- no, she wasn't caught up in the car, she had been in the city since 12, and no, she wasn't at a far away shopping centre. This is a small town, and everywhere she could have been was within 15 minutes WALK of my shop.
Around 4:15 pm, two girls come in. One is here for a sight test and is meeting her mother here. She is under 16, so can't have a test without a guardian present. Her test is at 4:35, so she's left it with plenty of time. At 4:30 she starts to become worried- her mum isn't here yet. We try and call the mum- the phone doesn't want to connect to her phone.
By 4:45 the girls are very upset. I track down the home number and try that. No answer. I try the mobile again. Success! But it rings, and after six rings goes to voice mail. I keep trying. The younger girl is almost in tears.
At 5:05 I take the girls upstairs, see if there is ANY way we can do the sight test. No. I ring the numbers again,. Again. Again. Leave messages. 5:15 I start rubnning around makiing everyopne who is there aware of the issue so we can do smething if the mother isn't there by close (7). Ring again. Both numbers. Ring again.
#5:25 she turns up, swans in like she hasn't a care in the world.
She 'lost track of the time'. Lost track of the time in a city where there is a clock in every shop, and on most surfaces? I can understand losing 15 minutes, but an hour? Never mind that, lost track of time so BADLY you left two thirteen year old children on their own in a strange place for an HOUR while you ambled around the shops? They were in tears! They thought something had happened to you! And don't you DARE tell me your phone was off, it rang before it went to voice mail, you just didn't want to answer it.
To answer the inevitable questions- no, she wasn't caught up in the car, she had been in the city since 12, and no, she wasn't at a far away shopping centre. This is a small town, and everywhere she could have been was within 15 minutes WALK of my shop.
I agree with KiaKat... there is really no excuse for leaving your child in the care of a stranger without making proper arrangements first. Besides considering the safety of the children, it is also inexcusable to cause them emotional distress! I'm not a parent either but I feel like if I was just out shopping it would occur to me rather frequently to think about where my children are...
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