A Shocking 10 Minutes of Distraction

We all went to the mall yesterday.  Thankfully it is a very small one and it isn't busy.  We have been having issues with Levi just wandering away when distracted by pretty much anything and shopping has been very challenging with him lately.  We had only been there about 10 minutes before we hit the part of the mall where they have all those toys for kids to play on; and, when we did get there, there was another child playing on one.  Levi ran right over while we kept walking.  We stopped briefly, and then decided to be more drastic.  We hid on him.  We were close enough to keep him safe, and we could see everything he was doing, but he would not be able to see us.  I have no idea what a normal amount of time would be for a child to notice his family was missing, but for at least 10 minutes, Levi ran around foolishly, falling on the ground and making a big scene while we quietly watched from our hiding spot.  Finally, he clued in.  We were gone.  That moment of fear hit only briefly before I stepped out and called to him, but I am hoping that was enough to teach him a lesson.  I think, after seeing how long it took for him to notice, that I am more scared than he is of what could happen.  Thankfully, we have an appointment with the paediatrician soon and we can hopefully sort out a way to get him more focused.