Child left unattended at Walmart, what would you do?

To what Pippin said - there are plenty of reasons why a baby could be kidnapped. Not always for ransom or sexual reasons (and there have been many cases I've read about of sexual abuse towards babies). A sick, grieving mother perhaps? Somene who can't conceive and desperately wants a child? Somebody with just an impulse? I'm sure it doesn't happen every day, I'm sure it's extremely rare, but I don't think it's a very sensible risk to take.

I think you did the right thing. I would say you should have confronted her, but honestly I know in that situation I wouldn't have had the balls for that! All you can do is inform a member of staff, who will have a word with her perhaps, she won't learn her lesson and will of course do it again, but there is only so much someone can do.

That's actually happened to me. I don't like to interfere or tell others how to raise their children, but I think it's necessary for other parents to step in when a child is left alone or otherwise put in serious danger. In my case, I waited with my little boy by the infant's cart for a good 5 minutes before the mother came back. She looked surprised to see me standing next to her baby, so I explained that I had been waiting for 5 minutes because I was concerned about such a young child being left all alone in the store. I then said, "You know, I could have taken her, put her in the car, and driven miles away before you even noticed she was missing." She looked sheepish, but took the baby and raced off without saying a word. I only hope she made better choices the next time.

Most people wouldn't leave their purse or precious cell phone alone in the cart - why would they leave something as valuable as their own child? It's pathetic, really.

I would have looked at the clock and waited by the cart until the parent(s) got back to the cart and would tell them that it could have been so easy for me to pick that baby up and walk out!

Oh wow! How irresponsible of a parent to do that!!! I would have parked my cart near the cart with the baby in it and stood there until the parent came back. That is kind of like this mom who lives down the street who never comes to pick up her 5 year old son from the bus stop on time. My son and I stay with him until she comes to get him...I can't leave him by himself. The guilt would kill me if something happened to him.

I think you did the right thing. That young of a baby is WAAAAY too young to be left alone! I don't even get that far away from my 3 year old in the cart

I would've waited by the cart for awhile to be sure the baby was, in fact, alone. And then do what you did. But I think you did the right thing anyway.

I would have asked in a loud voice where is the mother of this baby. If no one responded, I would have stayed there until the mother showed up and then spoke to her about the dangers or taken the baby to customer service and waited for the police.

I would stand by the baby for a minute or two and if nothing happened take it to a salesperson who could call the mother on the intercom. If it was a older child who could have wandered off I would ask them where their parents were and if they didn't know find a salesperson.

i will sheepishly admit that I extremely have performed this, a time or 2, for a pair of seconds at a time for similar motives. in elementary words the position i will verify her (like on the gas station lengthy adequate to pay for gas, or lengthy adequate to run into the place of work the position I artwork to %. up an merchandise of place of work artwork.) in no way even as i will't see her or it is warm. i do not recognize the legalities of it in my state, yet depending on the actual reality I consistently see babies (elderly 2-5) on my own both in vehicles and in public, i imagine i'm ok. many situations i have been on the park with my daughter and considered youthful youthful babies on my own there who walked to the park from a block or so away. i have considered them as youthful as 5 unaccompanied, which may terrify me as a parent.

She was completely out of sight?! maybe stand near by for a minute or two and see if she came back. If no one came back soon I would have said something to an employee.