This Mom is Strong on Crime!

Kate and I ran into Target yesterday to look at a floor rug that I am considering for our living room. She was full of energy and wanted "down, down, down" out of the stroller from the minute we walked into the store. I promised her we would go back to the toy section as soon as I got done with the rugs.

Soon we were in the toys and playing on the doll isle. At this Target, all of the toy isles back up to one main isle where they keep board game and bikes. I was sitting on the floor playing with Kate when a VERY strange man walked past our isle and looked at me with a chilling glare. My mommy danger meter IMMEDIATELY went off, but I decided to keep playing with Kate, and would just keep an eye out for this joker. About 10 minutes later he walked back back by but this time he looked at Kate and then me, as if to see if I was looking at him. I gave him a direct stare back to let him know that I saw him look at my child, and this time followed him into the main isle and said, "Can I help you find something, because you can stop looking at my daughter." He turned and looked at me and then ran over to the book section located just across from toys. I was FURIOUS at this point because he responded with such guilt to my suspicion that he was a danger to my child and me. He never said ONE word to me, just took off. I then went back and got Kate back in the stroller and went over to books where I told him, "You have NO RIGHT TO BE IN TOYS!! I'm getting a manager." I think I sort of yelled at him, but I just HATE all of those stories of children abducted, raped, and killed by sickos like this guy. I just knew in the pit of my stomach that he was danger. I saw him looking at another girl before I began my confrontation with him. After I informed him of my plan to get a manager, he bolted out of the store. I informed the manager that someone needs to be watching the toy section for predators like this man or Target is going to have a kidnapping one day.

I know what I did was not the safest, now that I look back on it, but in the moment I could not help myself. The moment he looked at my Kate something in me went into attack mode. Not sure if it's the pregnancy hormones, or just the over all disgust that I have towards people who hurt kids, but either way I felt justified by his guilty reaction. I think if more mom's were "strong on crime" we could do a lot to save our kids and other kids in situations like these. I have no problem confronting a suspicios person (obviously) at the store, at the park, or anywhere kids play. I make eye contact with strangers at the playground all the time who seem to be there with no children, just to let them know that I am aware of their presence. I just wanted to blog on this topic to remind all of you mom's out there to watch your surroundings and don't be afraid to act if you feel that someone is out of place. You don't have to yell at them, like I did...but at least get a manger or call the police. It's time we moms stopped worrying so much about offending people who seem dangerous, and started risking it to protect our children.


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