Woman Finds Her Missing Toddler In A Supermarket With The Help Of A “Hack” She Saw On TikTok
Few things in life are scarier than the moment you realize your child is missing. Your heart skips a beat and the whole world freezes.
But this is precisely what happened to one mom while shopping at a Kmart. After frantically and silently rummaging through the store, the mom suddenly remembered seeing a viral TikTok with a trick on how to find your child in a harrowing situation like this.
The trick was posted by parenting blogger Jess Martini, who shared a clip on her TikTok platform back in November 2020. “Do not start silently looking, you wanna look loudly, and what I mean by that is you start shouting their description while you look,” Jess stated in a video which amassed 152.2k likes.
Following Jess’ advice, the mom began shouting inside the store: “I’m missing a little boy, he’s wearing a yellow shirt and has brown hair. He’s two years old and his name is Nathan,” and they luckily got reunited. Let’s see Jess’ potentially life-saving hack in full right below.
Parenting vlogger Jess Martini posted this advice on what to do if your child goes missing in a public space and it went viral
@jesmartiniPSA that I feel can save kids and I’ve used- if your child goes missing in public ##momsoftiktok ##PSA ##nojudgement ##fyp ##4up ##besafe ##parentsoftiktok♬ original sound – Jess martini
Image credits: jesmartini
Image credits: jesmartini
Image credits: jesmartini
The mum of a two-year-old lost sight of him at a Kmart store in the NSW Hunter Region, Australia on Saturday. According to Yahoo, she shared the ordeal online on one Australian Facebook group, describing it as “the scariest 10 minutes of her life.”
“One friend ran to the entry immediately and alerted the staff member to not let a boy of his description leave the store. Even if he was with an adult. Another friend searched the area he was last seen,” she wrote on Facebook.
As the woman was running along the aisles and frantically looking under racks of clothing, she realized that searching for her child in silence would achieve nothing. It was then when she remembered the piece of advice given by Jess Martini and proceeded to shout the description of her boy.
Image credits: jesmartini
Image credits: jesmartini
Image credits: jesmartini
“I’m missing a little boy, he’s wearing a yellow shirt and has brown hair. He’s two years old and his name is Nathan,” the mum just kept repeating. Soon, she realized that people around her had started to take notice. “I had every adult around me on alert. They all threw aside what they were looking at and started searching too,” she wrote in a post.
Shortly, a sense of relief came over her as she heard a male voice behind her saying “he’s here.” “I turned back the way I came and there he was. A man had walked past him after hearing me calling out,” the woman recalled.
Image credits: jesmartini
Parents should always take precautions in case their children go missing. Here’s what you can do to prevent it: dress your child in bright colors, teach them to walk close to you, make sure your child knows their full name and phone number, write your phone number, name, and address on one of their clothing labels.
It’s always a good idea to make sure you remember what your child is wearing or take a photo of them if you’re in a crowded place. And for older kids, practice “meeting in a safe place” in case any member of the family gets lost.
And this is what others had to say about the advice
Image credits: www.facebook.com
399Kviews
Share on FacebookAn teacher of mine taught us a life hack, take a picture of your children just before you go into a crowded place like an amusement park. So if your child goes missing and you panic and can’t recall what they are wearing you have the most current photo of them to show people (and remember yourself).
Downvote monster is going to town on this reply section. I see 0 things here worth downvoting, so what happened?
Load More Replies...I was paying in a newsagent and between getting my wallet out of my bag I looked back and my 3 year older was gone. It was a strip mall. We frequently went there. At first I wanted to check the other shops but thought if I stayed in the centre I'd be more likely to find him. Just like the post I kept calling him and shouting loudly what he was wearing a little boy, brown coat, blue helmet. A couple of minutes in a lady said she had seen him crossing the road. I ran in the direction and could see him in the distance with two women. I ran to him. The woman he was next to was also in the newsagents and he had followed her out as she was of similar build and hair color to mine. I was so glad to find him. But it was terrifying.
People knock the whole "leash" thing but it can happen in a second! So happy you found him
Load More Replies...I absolutely remember playing an impromptu and unannounced game of hide and seek with my mom in a department store by hiding in the middle of a clothing rack. Scared the living daylights out of her. When you're that little, the danger you could be in or the fear you could cause doesn't really compute. You're just playing.
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Load More Replies...I hate it when people shame moms for this kind of thing. Kids are unpredictable. I am the best aunt that has ever walked the face of the earth and that did not stop my 6 year old nephew from dashing down an aisle to look at comic books while I was looking for vanilla sugar.
Agreed. The person who couldn’t understand how you can’t know where your two-year-old is has never been shopping with multiple children under five at the same time.
Load More Replies...When we go anywhere I slip a Tile in her pocket, it tracks her by GPS (up to 4-500 feet away), and if she gets more than 50 feet from me it pings my phone. They're about $30 but I've had it for 4 years and it's great.
I was leaving the mall food court with my two young kids when I noticed I now had three kids as a five year old boy had joined us. I stopped him from walking out into the busy parking lot and couldn’t see anyone else around. So I took him back into the food court where he walked up to his parents who were eating. They never even knew he was gone.
if this "article" demonstrates at least one thing is the sheer amount of toxic vote brigading that goes on in BP... if you disagree then fine disagree, but when you decide to censor by vote brigading then that just shows you have bigger problems in your life.. BP has become an echo chamber of ignorance.
We showed our 4 yr old where to go at our local Walmart. She deliberately snuck off the text trip my wife took to Walmart. My wife panicked then heard we could Steffis mom or dad come to the front counter . There she was,proud as could be that she obeyed and went to the front counter. Of course some rules and explaining was necessary. And the lady at counter said this happens frequently .lol
My daughter did this to me once when she was about 3. She hid in a round clothes rack. Fortunately, I was able to find her quickly. But those few seconds felt like hours. A few years back I was at the grocery store shopping and I noticed a toddler wandering around the produce section by herself. I watched her for a few minutes and there didn't seem to be an adult looking for her. I then approached her and asked her where her mommy was, she couldn't tell me. So I told her we would find her. I took her to the customer service desk and just as they were starting to announce for the mom to come get her child, an obviously distressed woman on the other side of the store came barreling down to customer service. I hope she put the child in the cart from now on or attached a lead to wrist so she couldn't wander off again. This could have ended so badly. That little girl came willingly with me. I could have walked out of the store with he r.
Are you willing to know who your spouse really is, if your spouse is cheating just contact cybergoldenhacker he is good at hacking into cell phones,changing school grades and many more this great hacker has also worked for me and i got results of spouse whats-app messages,call logs, text messages, viber,kik, Facebook, emails. deleted text messages and many more this hacker is very fast cheap and affordable he has never disappointed me for once contact him if you have any form of hacking problem am sure he will help you THANK YOU. contact: cybergoldenhacker at gmail dot com
Got lost in the store one time. Dad was literally in the next isle over. I felt so stupid when I found him.
when we lose someone in a store after a bathroom break or something, we do marco-polo
We used a harness leash. I have one hand && a child takes up a hand. I got some grief because "you are treating the child like an animal" - until they can eat, dress, clean and otherwise be functional *they are an animal*. Also, I trained him to a whistle. I could take him into a confined area with one controlled exit and let him explore. When I wanted him, I would whistle && he would come running. I am going to remember the hack. Great idea.
Also teach your child your name! My mom told me once how I had "lost" her at a party (ofc someone would say it's closed space, people you know, etc, but for a 4yo it's equally terrifying) Instead of calling out "mama" I started wandering around and call out her name. Even a bit mispronounced, people still understood my mom's name.
Had a neighbor ask if our son was adopted because he would call me by my name. He also would/will call me Dad.
Load More Replies...Happened to me at Bed, Bath & Beyond when my son was 2-3. He was playing hide and go seek in some display racks, and I had JUST started to get nervous when an employee happened by and asked, "Is your child missing?" I confirmed, and she shouted out some code words. The entire place locked down immediately! Employees came out of nowhere to man exit doors, and that was a huge relief as we looked for him. Found him within seconds, thankfully. But I was so impressed with their protocol. Absolutely love that stores do this now.
Interesting, I used to work for various shops in the UK, maybe 10-15 years ago now and we would NEVER put anything over the tannoy, except a code to alert other shop assistants. The theory seemed to be that you didn't want strangers to think a child was unaccompanied and make them an easier target to take.
Better to look stupid than be sorry. I agree 100%. Its so frightening when they're out of sight the worst hits you like a ton of bricks and panic sets in. Good job mom for remembering what you learned.
I almost walked of with a roma woman wearing exactly the same skirt (quite distinct to be honest) as my mom. I don't know what that lady was thinking when I put my hand in her hand after I had just seemingly a breath ago held onto the hand of my mom. She just calmly kept walking away with me holding onto her. (Not forcing or pulling me or anything). Think black friday shopping kind of moment. Luckily I myself somehow noticed and let go and ran back. I think my mom got me immediately without me starting to panic.
A small local mall of ours had a large fish tank at the concierge desk. That was our meeting point if we ever got separated.
On the other end of things, pay attention to your surroundings and the people in them. If you notice a child who is alone, keep an eye on them- at the very least- and look out for a panicked parent. Or if you see a searching parent, ask if they need a second set of eyes.
I taught my little ones that if a grownup approached them even if it was a policeman that the grownup would have to say a code word that we set up earlier. They wouldn't leave with anyone, not even their aunt, who had to call me because she didn't know the code word! I was so proud of them (they were 6, 7 & 8) that they put this into practice, because even the most alert parents can find themselves in the most horrible of situations.
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Load More Replies...An teacher of mine taught us a life hack, take a picture of your children just before you go into a crowded place like an amusement park. So if your child goes missing and you panic and can’t recall what they are wearing you have the most current photo of them to show people (and remember yourself).
Downvote monster is going to town on this reply section. I see 0 things here worth downvoting, so what happened?
Load More Replies...I was paying in a newsagent and between getting my wallet out of my bag I looked back and my 3 year older was gone. It was a strip mall. We frequently went there. At first I wanted to check the other shops but thought if I stayed in the centre I'd be more likely to find him. Just like the post I kept calling him and shouting loudly what he was wearing a little boy, brown coat, blue helmet. A couple of minutes in a lady said she had seen him crossing the road. I ran in the direction and could see him in the distance with two women. I ran to him. The woman he was next to was also in the newsagents and he had followed her out as she was of similar build and hair color to mine. I was so glad to find him. But it was terrifying.
People knock the whole "leash" thing but it can happen in a second! So happy you found him
Load More Replies...I absolutely remember playing an impromptu and unannounced game of hide and seek with my mom in a department store by hiding in the middle of a clothing rack. Scared the living daylights out of her. When you're that little, the danger you could be in or the fear you could cause doesn't really compute. You're just playing.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Load More Replies...I hate it when people shame moms for this kind of thing. Kids are unpredictable. I am the best aunt that has ever walked the face of the earth and that did not stop my 6 year old nephew from dashing down an aisle to look at comic books while I was looking for vanilla sugar.
Agreed. The person who couldn’t understand how you can’t know where your two-year-old is has never been shopping with multiple children under five at the same time.
Load More Replies...When we go anywhere I slip a Tile in her pocket, it tracks her by GPS (up to 4-500 feet away), and if she gets more than 50 feet from me it pings my phone. They're about $30 but I've had it for 4 years and it's great.
I was leaving the mall food court with my two young kids when I noticed I now had three kids as a five year old boy had joined us. I stopped him from walking out into the busy parking lot and couldn’t see anyone else around. So I took him back into the food court where he walked up to his parents who were eating. They never even knew he was gone.
if this "article" demonstrates at least one thing is the sheer amount of toxic vote brigading that goes on in BP... if you disagree then fine disagree, but when you decide to censor by vote brigading then that just shows you have bigger problems in your life.. BP has become an echo chamber of ignorance.
We showed our 4 yr old where to go at our local Walmart. She deliberately snuck off the text trip my wife took to Walmart. My wife panicked then heard we could Steffis mom or dad come to the front counter . There she was,proud as could be that she obeyed and went to the front counter. Of course some rules and explaining was necessary. And the lady at counter said this happens frequently .lol
My daughter did this to me once when she was about 3. She hid in a round clothes rack. Fortunately, I was able to find her quickly. But those few seconds felt like hours. A few years back I was at the grocery store shopping and I noticed a toddler wandering around the produce section by herself. I watched her for a few minutes and there didn't seem to be an adult looking for her. I then approached her and asked her where her mommy was, she couldn't tell me. So I told her we would find her. I took her to the customer service desk and just as they were starting to announce for the mom to come get her child, an obviously distressed woman on the other side of the store came barreling down to customer service. I hope she put the child in the cart from now on or attached a lead to wrist so she couldn't wander off again. This could have ended so badly. That little girl came willingly with me. I could have walked out of the store with he r.
Are you willing to know who your spouse really is, if your spouse is cheating just contact cybergoldenhacker he is good at hacking into cell phones,changing school grades and many more this great hacker has also worked for me and i got results of spouse whats-app messages,call logs, text messages, viber,kik, Facebook, emails. deleted text messages and many more this hacker is very fast cheap and affordable he has never disappointed me for once contact him if you have any form of hacking problem am sure he will help you THANK YOU. contact: cybergoldenhacker at gmail dot com
Got lost in the store one time. Dad was literally in the next isle over. I felt so stupid when I found him.
when we lose someone in a store after a bathroom break or something, we do marco-polo
We used a harness leash. I have one hand && a child takes up a hand. I got some grief because "you are treating the child like an animal" - until they can eat, dress, clean and otherwise be functional *they are an animal*. Also, I trained him to a whistle. I could take him into a confined area with one controlled exit and let him explore. When I wanted him, I would whistle && he would come running. I am going to remember the hack. Great idea.
Also teach your child your name! My mom told me once how I had "lost" her at a party (ofc someone would say it's closed space, people you know, etc, but for a 4yo it's equally terrifying) Instead of calling out "mama" I started wandering around and call out her name. Even a bit mispronounced, people still understood my mom's name.
Had a neighbor ask if our son was adopted because he would call me by my name. He also would/will call me Dad.
Load More Replies...Happened to me at Bed, Bath & Beyond when my son was 2-3. He was playing hide and go seek in some display racks, and I had JUST started to get nervous when an employee happened by and asked, "Is your child missing?" I confirmed, and she shouted out some code words. The entire place locked down immediately! Employees came out of nowhere to man exit doors, and that was a huge relief as we looked for him. Found him within seconds, thankfully. But I was so impressed with their protocol. Absolutely love that stores do this now.
Interesting, I used to work for various shops in the UK, maybe 10-15 years ago now and we would NEVER put anything over the tannoy, except a code to alert other shop assistants. The theory seemed to be that you didn't want strangers to think a child was unaccompanied and make them an easier target to take.
Better to look stupid than be sorry. I agree 100%. Its so frightening when they're out of sight the worst hits you like a ton of bricks and panic sets in. Good job mom for remembering what you learned.
I almost walked of with a roma woman wearing exactly the same skirt (quite distinct to be honest) as my mom. I don't know what that lady was thinking when I put my hand in her hand after I had just seemingly a breath ago held onto the hand of my mom. She just calmly kept walking away with me holding onto her. (Not forcing or pulling me or anything). Think black friday shopping kind of moment. Luckily I myself somehow noticed and let go and ran back. I think my mom got me immediately without me starting to panic.
A small local mall of ours had a large fish tank at the concierge desk. That was our meeting point if we ever got separated.
On the other end of things, pay attention to your surroundings and the people in them. If you notice a child who is alone, keep an eye on them- at the very least- and look out for a panicked parent. Or if you see a searching parent, ask if they need a second set of eyes.
I taught my little ones that if a grownup approached them even if it was a policeman that the grownup would have to say a code word that we set up earlier. They wouldn't leave with anyone, not even their aunt, who had to call me because she didn't know the code word! I was so proud of them (they were 6, 7 & 8) that they put this into practice, because even the most alert parents can find themselves in the most horrible of situations.
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