Really upset, possible pedophile!

My heart is pounding in my chest reading this!! I'm so glad Elijah is okay. You did the right thing by calling the police!

Gavin de Becker's book "Protecting the Gift" advocates listening to your gut. In order to really hear your gut you have to trust your gut and stop worrying. Worrying just makes unneccessary noise that prevents you from hearing your gut. When a little voice says "This guy is weird." Listen! But I wouldn't be calling the police on every single man at the playground. That's just worrying IMO.

He also doesn't advocate doing a lot of "street proofing" of little kids. He basically says if they are too young to make the right decisions then they shouldn't be alone. You should be teaching them through modelling, etc. to listen to their gut. I ask my son when he is climbing something dangerous "Does it feel safe?" and if he says no I say "Then maybe you shouldn't do it." or "What can we do to make you feel safe?" I feel this is laying the groundwork for listening to his gut. Just saying "don't talk to strangers" is saying don't trust anybody you don't know which could include police, teachers, etc. It's the people he does know that are the most likely to hurt him. Sad but true.

That's a very scary situation but one that we can all learn from. Your gut told you he was weird and you were right. Remember that feeling and next time you will react quicker.

I would definately tell who ever organizes your playgroup about the man and how you reported it to the police. What if he shows up again and you are not there to point him out to everyone and some other mom thinks as you did that maybe he is here with a child. Maybe the leader of your playgroup can send out a little memo to all the members or if it is a drop-in playgroup she could pass them out to the parents as they arrive or leave. I think this incident might be an oppurtunity to open up communication amomg the parents and children about safe peole and safe touching and how you explain that idea to young kids among your fellow play group members.

I just talked to the cops again and they've been talking to some members of the group and the one woman Morgan says that he definately did not have kids with him. What happened was the woman who was supposed to open up was late. Two other women were there and the guy was just hanging around. They said they needed to get the key to open up and the guy said he'd go get it. So he got it I guess and they opened up and he just hung around. Why didn't these women question why this man was there??? And obviously he was up to no good because he kept the master key in his pocket. My dad has prophetic dreams and he had one last night. The guy was going to do something bad to Elijah and then lock the door from the outside with the master key and leave him there. I am just so shaken up! That man may have molested and murdered my child. I have been crying so much and hugging Elijah and he has no clue what's going on (thank God!). I can't believe how easily this could have happened. And with me right there! The cops are looking for him and are going to have a guard stationed there on Tuesday. They are talking to more members of the group and still trying to contact the leader (who wasn't there yesterday). If they find out for sure that no one knows who he is they are going to put an alert out to all of Ontario, alerting all the police forces so they can alert all playgroups and mother's group of a possible predator on the loose. I am glad they are taking this so seriously but I'm still so scared and upset. I keep picturing the man leading my little boy towards the bathrooms. I am so thankful I got there in time and nothing happened. But just the thought of what could have is tearing me apart.

Wow, that is scary!! I am so glad you reported it, and am soooo glad the authorities are taking this very seriously. That is NOT RIGHT that that guy tried taking your boy to the bathrooms. I am shuttering for you. Ugh.

to you and your family.

WHOA!! Where in Ontario was this???
I was at the library last week and there was a guy in the parking lot beside my car and he undid his pants and may have been taking them off, so I grabbed my daughter and headed in and reported him. Nothing came of it though. They didnt have security so they sent a maintenance man to have look, but all he did was walk to the end of the overhang and go back inside. I later saw this man in the building, but as I was already in the process of driving away I didnt go back to point him out. Maybe I should have?
You so arnt over reacting, and should definately report it(I know you already have, but I couldnt figure out how to word that right : )