Yesterday after my meeting, I went downstairs to discover we were out of Marmalade.
For those who do not know, Marmalade is Jam made of Orange peel we put on toasted bread.
So I popped across the road to the shops. There I saw a mum with her son and I could see she was really struggling with him.
As I was watching her pleading with him, I saw him pulling her and starting and making sounds. I could see she was feeling embarrassed and she started heading towards to door whilst saying out loud, let's go get the pushchair.
I was in the queue waiting to pay. I wondered if I should drop everything and go out to help her.
Will she return or was that just something she said as she was getting away?
I decided to stay in the queue and pay for the marmalade. As I was coming out of the shop I saw her fighting with the pushchair. I could still hear the child but I could not see him.
There were cars driving into the car park. I knew the drivers would not even be aware of his existence.
I knew I had to do something.
How do you deliver a pitch in that situation? I had to be quick. I knew I had 2 minutes tops to get through to her.
So I went up to her and put my hand on her forearm and asked if she was ok.
Her response: Yes I am fine. He gets overwhelmed and I can't get this thing to open up.
I could hear the little boy was starting to get more and more agitated.
I mentioned I had one like that.
Me: Let me keep an eye on him, while you do that and I moved closer to him.
Making sounds a 1-year-old would make when upset, the little boy ran out from behind the car past me and got close to her, grabbing hold of the pushchair and trying to push it towards the shop. That is when I knew I suspected I had met another Administrator.
I asked how old he was and she told me he was 4. She also mentioned he is non-verbal and has been placed on the autistic spectrum.
I could tell he was in the 320 thought process so I waited for a bit and asked the mum what she wanted to do.
Her: I want to go to the shop and buy a few things.
I asked him what he wanted. Making strange noises as he ran back into the shop,
He came out holding a packet of biscuits.
He sat in his pushchair, mum opened the packet for him.
Now Mum was worried about getting done for shoplifting. I assured her the guys in the shop would understand and I would be her witness! :-)
Me: I live just there, Pop round for tea, and let me share with you where we are now and what to expect.
I also mentioned briefly about my son's 6-month post-review where the psychologist could not believe he was the same kid after I had tried a new method of working with him.
She asked me if she should come alone or bring him. I asked if she had any support. she responded yes but not close by as we have only recently moved here.
That is when she mentioned the Nursery and my penny dropped and I knew I had run out of marmalade for a reason, especially knowing what awaited her
What would you have done if you met a mum in that situation? Would you close a blind eye or would you go and help her?
Why is this so important?
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