I recently posted on the NJ Mom's blog about a mother bond experience I had at the Bergen Mall. A woman lost her child and wordlessly, all the women in the Gap Outlet began searching for the missing child. It was amazing to witness.
Yesterday, I went to the Central Park Zoo in the city. It was claustrophobically crowded due to the killer combo of NJ spring break and Passover. There were hundreds of Hassidic families with hordes of matching children. After the zoo closed, we made our way to a nearby playgroup which was even more crowded and overwhelming. There a woman lost her child, a 3 year old boy. She was running around the playgroup asking for help and shouting what her child was wearing. Only one other woman offered to help. I have to admit that I did not help beyond vaguely scanning the area because I was very challenged with my three children running around. But I was struck by the difference in my two experiences, just a few days apart.
What's the difference? Was it New Yorkers cold toughness or was it that everyone was in the same boat as me, too busy caring for their own children? One thing's for sure, I'm keeping my munchkins extra close after witnessing two children go missing within a few days of each other.
1 comments:
I have a very active almost-3-year old.. she is constantly running off. Occasionally she will run off to the point where I don't know where she's run too.. and honestly, only once or twice has someone offered to help or even give an indication that they could sense something was wrong!! And each time, after shes safely back with me (and quietly scolded) I am amazed that no one stepped off to offer help.. even employees in the stores!
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