October 6, 2026 at 8:55 am

She Left Her Young Kids Alone In The Store While She Loaded Her Car, Expecting Employees To Watch Them Like Babysitters

by Michael Levanduski

Stressed woman watching a kid

Shutterstock

Parents are responsible for their own children, but sometimes they just expect others to step up and watch their kids, even if they don’t know them.

That is what happened in this story when a Mom told her two very young kids to stay in the store while she loaded the car. The workers had to scramble to ensure the kids were safe while Mom was gone.

To make matters worse, Mom actually got upset that they didn’t watch her children well enough while she was in the parking lot.

Read through the full story below and see what you think of what happened.

We are store associates NOT your kids’ babysitters.

Okay, so I have a couple of stories here, but me me start off by explaining that I work at a certain toy store/baby store.

Parents should really be more attentive to their kids.

I have no idea why all our customers who come in have this idea that our store is just one big daycare center, and the employees jobs are to watch their children.

I was working at guest service one day when this Careless Mom (who we’ll call CM) comes up to the desk pushing her cart, with her baby girl in the seat and toddler son tagging along behind her.

So far, so good.

Me: Hi, how can I help you?

CM: Hey I just bought this item but the box is too big for me is there anyway I can get help putting it in the car?

Me: Of course, let me call someone for you

Things are already taking a negative turn.

So, I page one of our BOH guys to come up and help her out, all this while she’s texting while her son wanders a couple aisles away.

Finally one of BOH guys comes up and I ask him to help out this woman fit a box in her car. He goes to grab the box she needs while she screams for her son to come back.

What? No, she should not be doing this.

CM (to her young son): Okay Mommy will be back, stay her with little sister okay? Don’t leave.

She then proceeds to walk out of the store and leave her infant and toddler alone. I am completely shocked.

It would be tempting to leave the kids on their own, but that is dangerous.

I would never leave my babies alone anywhere. And as soon as the mom left the toddler once again bolted to go look at toys leaving the baby abandoned in the front of the store.

I have no idea what to do, the phone is ringing in the back of the office, which is my responsibility to answer, but I cannot leave this baby alone and what about the toddler?

What a terrible situation.

I swear my head was racing. I quickly page for one of my coworkers and ask her to please keep an eye on the toddler wandering around the store and ask my manager to answer the phone because I have to watch this baby until the mother arrives.

My manager can’t believe it either that this mother would just leave her kids alone.

The nerve of some people.

The best part though was when she came back a couple minutes later started giving me attitude because her baby dropped her pacifier on the floor and because her son was a couple aisles away.

It is hard to imagine why some people think that they can do this type of thing. At the end of the day, however, they got away with it because nobody called them out.

Read on to see what the people in the comments have to say about it.

What kind of parent would let their kids run around like this?

Comment 5 128 She Left Her Young Kids Alone In The Store While She Loaded Her Car, Expecting Employees To Watch Them Like Babysitters

This must be very frustrating.

Comment 4 132 She Left Her Young Kids Alone In The Store While She Loaded Her Car, Expecting Employees To Watch Them Like Babysitters

Calling the police is the right move.

Comment 3 138 She Left Her Young Kids Alone In The Store While She Loaded Her Car, Expecting Employees To Watch Them Like Babysitters

Here is a great solution.

Comment 2 140 She Left Her Young Kids Alone In The Store While She Loaded Her Car, Expecting Employees To Watch Them Like Babysitters

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a delivery driver who tried warning his boss the truck needed new brakes and tires, only to find his truck sidelined during their busiest season.

This would be a good sign to put up.

Comment 1 140 She Left Her Young Kids Alone In The Store While She Loaded Her Car, Expecting Employees To Watch Them Like Babysitters

The mother in this story was completely unfit and deserves to get in trouble. Her kids could have gotten seriously hurt or lost.

Why parents think they can just walk away from their kids is beyond me.

Enjoyed this story?

Readers who liked this also read this story about a craft store customer who refuses to take no for an answer when it comes to wrapping his purchases for gifts.
Read Story→

Senior Contributing Editor, Workplace & Community

Michael Levanduski is a veteran journalist and digital culture specialist with over 15 years of professional writing and research experience. While his background spans emerging technology and complex technical subjects, Michael specializes in analyzing workplace ethics, property disputes, and viral interpersonal dynamics across modern digital forums.

Since joining TwistedSifter in 2024, Michael has authored some of the publication’s most widely read coverage on corporate policy, malicious compliance, and neighborhood relations. Rather than simply aggregating online debates, he brings rigorous research, organizational context, and an empathetic editorial voice to everyday human dilemmas—transforming raw forum discussions into insightful, highly engaging narratives.

When he isn’t covering internet culture, Michael enjoys traveling, keeping up with tech trends, and spending time with his family. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn and Facebook.