Paranoid in Public?

When your in public with your child and their able to walk on their own with you holding their hand are you afraid of doing this due to child nappers out there? Im scared of letting my child walk on his own without me carrying him b/c im constantly afraid someone will snatch him.. normal?

a little overly paranoid for sure. hold onto him, yes, keep him close, yes...but do not helicopter him out of fears.

I think those are normal thoughts, however it would not be normal if you stopped going in public lol. Just put those thoughts away, keep an eye on your kid and/or hold their hand.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Stevah:</b>" a little overly paranoid for sure. hold onto him, yes, keep him close, yes...but do not helicopter him out of fears."</blockquote>




This

I keep an eye on my kids but not letting them walk on their own is too extreme. One of my DDs classmates (she is the youngest in her class and she is 5, there is only one other 5 year old, everyone else is 6 or almost 6) still has to ride in an umbrella stroller. She was at my DDs birthday party and a bunch of kids started asking her why she was in a baby stroller (she has no physical defects) and her mom piped in with "because then I know that she is safe". Poor girl looked embarrassed. There is an acceptable level of supervision then there is paranoid extreme.

A little overprotective, your kid is gonna walk just make sure your holding his hand and have him in eye range at all times.

Quoting Mama Rice:" I keep an eye on my kids but not letting them walk on their own is too extreme. One of my DDs classmates ... [snip!] ... that she is safe". Poor girl looked embarrassed. There is an acceptable level of supervision then there is paranoid extreme."

Wow that is extreme.. My mom was way over protective of me but i don't want to be like that with my son. I just dont want anyone taking him from me in public..Of course i will be holding his hand. I am overly cautious when we are in public.

I read that most child abductions are not stranger abductions. 0_o

<blockquote><b>Quoting Landen Wyatt's Mama:</b>" Wow that is extreme.. My mom was way over protective of me but i don't want to be like that with my ... [snip!] ... want anyone taking him from me in public..Of course i will be holding his hand. I am overly cautious when we are in public. "</blockquote>

She followed her and my DD around the playground the whole party. My DD asked her why she wouldn't let her play with her friends. There was literally 3 feet from the tables to the play area. She took helicopter parenting to a new extreme.

Quoting Mama Rice:" I read that most child abductions are not stranger abductions. 0_o"

that's 100% true.

in fact, child snatching in public places is unbelievably rare. almost never, ever happens. especially now with all the cameras
the reason you hear about it in the news is... it's so rare, that when it happens, it actually makes the news.
i bet if you asked your local police chief about the last time a child went missing from a public place in your area, he'd say "never"

No that is not normal! you need to learn to let that kid go. Otherwise, you're going to be paranoid at every turn and your child won't learn how to care for himself.

Quoting Devil Duckie:" No that is not normal! you need to learn to let that kid go. Otherwise, you're going to be paranoid at every turn and your child won't learn how to care for himself. "

Not normal? So being protective of my child is unnormal behavior?? Excuse me for not wanting my child being snatched by a loon. I let my child walk on his own just not in crowded public places.