Yes, I Left My Kids Unsupervised in Target

We had quite the shopping list at Target. I was hunting for essentials like stain remover, a big bag of tortilla chips, grape jelly, and brightly colored cereal loaded with high fructose corn syrup. My kids had already picked out electric Baby Yoda toothbrushes and their favorite unicorn sparkle toothpaste. We searched for #63 HP printer ink while my youngest clung to the side of the cart as we navigated the detergent aisle. Their sighs and eye rolls signaled they were over my shopping demands. So, I told them to check out the LEGOs. And just like that, I left my kids alone in Target.

Yes, I left my kids alone in Target, trusting them to navigate the store without harm.

Someone call social services. Clearly, I am both inept and lazy.

But here’s the thing: I do this often.

Forget the fact that my sons are 11, 10, and 8 years old. The reality is that fewer than 350 children are abducted by strangers each year in the U.S., and these incidents usually occur when kids are going to or from school. Still, there’s a heavy stigma attached to allowing kids of their age to roam in public while I search for printer ink in relative peace.

My kids aren’t running wild or causing chaos. When I find them, they’re typically just hanging out like old men on a street corner. Still, each time I let them wander in Target, I remind them: “If someone asks where I am, tell them firmly that your mama said you can be alone. If they ask if you’re lost, say no. If they insist you go to customer service so they can page me, firmly refuse. If they persist, tell them they are bothering you. You have every right to be here as long as you behave.”

I don’t say: “Don’t talk to strangers. Yell if someone grabs you.” I don’t worry about abductions; my concern lies with well-meaning bystanders. When I leave my kids alone at Target, I dread that a nosy person will spot them in the toy aisle, look for a parent, and ask, “Where’s your mother?” followed by a freakout. This isn’t just paranoia; it has happened before.

This time, however, when I finished shopping and couldn’t find my sons in the toy aisles, panic surged. Had someone harassed them? I had left them alone in Target, and now some meddler had dragged them to customer service. I sprinted to the book section, hoping they were lost in a Dogman adventure. No kids. My heart sank.

Returning to the toy aisles, I called out their names again. With their hands in their pockets, they were engrossed in a conversation about Marvel LEGOs. I just missed them as they moved behind an aisle at the wrong moment. I exhaled deeply. They were fine. I was fine.

My fears are not without foundation. In 2017, a woman in New York faced legal trouble for leaving her 10-year-old alone in a LEGO Store for two hours while she shopped elsewhere in the mall. While two hours is excessive compared to my brief shopping trips, police reported that the child didn’t know where her mother was and couldn’t contact her. I don’t detail my exact location in Target or provide my kids with phones. The same article mentions that the New York Office of Child and Family Services acknowledges, “Some children are responsible, intelligent, and independent enough to be left alone at 12 or 13 years of age.”

My kids deserve that independence. At their ages, they shouldn’t have to stand around while I check prices. So I tell them to explore the LEGOs, books, or Nintendo games. As far as I know, they don’t make child leashes in size 10 for boys. So yes, I left my kids alone in Target. They survived, and they continue to do so every time we go.

Fortunately, no one has called the police. I shouldn’t have to stress about that. But the world has changed. It’s not the same as when we were kids. People have shifted.

While the likelihood of abductions hasn’t increased, the chances of strangers calling the authorities on parents have certainly risen.

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In summary, while it may seem daunting to leave your kids alone in a store, it’s a common practice among many parents. The balance between fostering independence and adhering to societal norms can be tricky, but it’s essential for children to learn how to navigate the world on their own.

Keyphrase: leaving kids alone in public

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