Lessons for parents: Hold the lift door!

I brought my two kids out one day with Armand on his trike and Arissa in my arms.

We were getting out of the lift at our floor and I went out first with Arissa and then pushed the button outside to keep the door open. Armand was trying to turn his trike around when the door just closed and there was nothing I could do.

I could have waited for the lift to come back down again to our floor but I panicked so I ran up the stairs trying to catch the lift which by that time has gone down again.

I decided to just head down to the first level where luckily an upstairs family neighbour of ours was also there (they got in the lift with him when it went up) and told me where Armand was (he had cycled away, looking and calling for me). I quickly called up to him as I ran to to him and pick him up to hug him tight. He was of course crying.

I cannot be more thankful that this incident end up with him safely back with us. It was a horrifying experience for me to see my son trapped in the lift but it affected my son even more. He may be physically fine but he was emotionally traumatised, even till today. He sometimes has nightmares and will recall the incident out of nowhere, especially when we are taking the lift. All I can say to him when that happens is that I am there with him and will not leave his side so he need not be afraid. I hope this traumatising experience of his will go away soon.

So parents, remember to hold the lift door instead of pushing the door open button. Lifts nowadays have a timer that ignores if the button to keep the door open is pushed or not.