I had thought about not writing this here on my blog. I like my blog to be my happy place. But something happened today, that you may or may not have already read about on my twitter, that I feel I reallly should share.
The main reason I want to share this is because I worry that what happened to Ethan really could happen to other babies and young children. And this deeply concerns me.
In short and without too much of my own personal anger and upset - Ethan was placed in a bumbo seat that was on top of a very high (kitchen type) stall in Snappy Snaps in Milton Keynes for a passport photograph. Of which he fell head first off of. Luckily I somehow managed to stop his face from smashing on to the ground, but he caught the side of his face on some metal which of course made him very upset and left red left marks on him. He seems okay, but now has a bruise to the side of his head.
The staff seemed to be more interested in shouting at each other rather than seeing if Ethan was okay. There was no proper apology, in fact I don't remember there being one at all. And then they proceeded to have a discussion in front of a (VERY) upset me, about what time they would be going home that day. I was asked to pay and when I complained about the safety aspect was told something along the lines of .. 'I know it's not particularly safe, but we don't have anything else..' (except a bean bag) which is what they should have used in the first place!
In hindsight I should never have allowed him to be put on that stall. I should have trusted my instincts when I felt as uncomfortable as I did. There was an atmosphere in that store between the staff that should have made me turn back around and walk out of the door. But I trusted them. I trusted their brand. I shouldn't have, I should have took control and followed my instincts.
I have since made a formal complaint and have been offered, by the area manager, my £10 back (who cares about that?) and have been invited to a 'nicer' store in Northampton to have Ethans passport photo re-done. (Because I cannot look at the ones I have at the moment without feeling upset, guilt and anger.)
I have told the area manager the truth, which is, that I WILL NEVER EVER set another foot back into one of their stores again.
They are a dangerous, untrustworthy company who not only put my baby in danger and then allowed him to get injured. They also allow people to work for them who literally could not care less about the safety of the young children and babies that they photograph.
Please do not take your babies to any Snappy Snaps stores. Ethans injuries could have been so much worse.
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