As parents, most of us have had the experience of suddenly realizing we have no idea where our child has gone. They were just beside you and now they are no where to be found. Red alert has set in and you're now asking everyone around you if they've seen your little one. Luckily, most children are found rather quickly. Even luckier, most children survive the reaction of their parents when found. ;)
I've been raising two boys in possibly the biggest and busiest travel destination in the world for the last couple of years. During that time, I've learned a thing or two about keeping them safe and there are a few precautions that I take to help my peace of mind.
1. The most important thing to do before you get to your destination, is to talk to your kids about where you're going and what you'll be doing. Remind them what you've told them about strangers. Make sure you set some rules about keeping close to you and not running off. Talking about this before you get to a crowded place helps them to focus on your words and not everything else around them.
2. Find A Mom! During my big speech before we hit our destination I always remind my boys who to go to if they do get lost. I've always felt safest telling my boys to "Find a Mom". They know that if they get lost they should find a mom with kids and tell her they're lost. I feel like I can trust another mother to help keep my boys safe and help them find me or my husband.
3. Dress them in bright clothing, matching shirts, or wear family shirts. Obviously it's a lot easier to look for and spot a neon green shirt in a crowd.
4. Take a photo of your children in what they're wearing that day. As soon as we get out of our car and before we take anymore steps toward where we are headed, I line my boys up and take a clear photo of them. This way I have a 'just incase' updated photo of them with what they are wearing and it's easy to just pull out your phone and ask someone if they've seen your child and show them a current picture from that day.
5. Hands on rule. We have a rule with our boys when we are in a crowded area that they must always have a hand on Mom or Dad at all times, until we give them permission for hands off. They must be holding one of our hands, latching my bag(so I feel the weight of them and know they are still beside me), or holding one of our shirts. When we are in the a busy grocery store I usually have the hands on rule with the shopping cart. It has worked really well for us.
I know every kid is different. Sometimes things get overwhelming. I still recommend the above tips and tricks and also suggest maybe getting a wrist or body leash. It sounds silly at first, but I do know parents that wouldn't have been able to travel without a child leash. It is better to be safe than sorry. ;)
I'd love to hear your own tips and tricks!
I hope you enjoyed this post! I love you all! :)
Great ideas! Another good idea is to make sure your kids know their parents' names. I know your boys are old enough that they do, but even at a young age you can teach it to them--our daughter has known our names since she was three. We make it into a game for when we're driving in the car. "What is my name?" (Sandi) "Right! But what do you call me?" (momma) When she is in a crowd or store and can't see me, she can call "Mommy! Sandi!" which is so much more effective than the generic "Mom!" Also, if someone else finds her first, they know whom to page. We play the same game with learning our phone number and address. We even turned our address into a song to help her learn it.
ReplyDeleteI love the mommy Sandi idea!! I've written our cells on my boys arms before...didn't include that one.
DeleteThis is great advice for kids of any age. I love the "find a mom." Perfect. I remember traveling with my young niece years ago and it was the debate of the bathroom and was it appropriate for her to be in with me or out by herself and I did the ... need to see feet under the stall... sing a song so I can hear you... and scream as loud as you can if anyone even looks at you! Hugs, Holly
ReplyDeletehttp://coconutheadsurvivalguide.com/blog/
Oh yeah, the bathroom thing. I always make my boys go to the women's with me. Once in a blue moon I'll send my oldest alone to only the womens if I have eye contact with the bathroom door. Your comment reminded me of a funny memory. I remember my grandma teaching me about 'men' strangers and if they try anything to throw the biggest fit, scream, yell, bite, and my fave was.... 'kick 'em where it hurts'!! And you know what? I've told my boys to do the same thing.
DeleteI just went to my first big outing with my 1 and 2 yr old to a theme park. I had to be alone with them for 40 mins while my husband and his friend rode a roller coaster. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. But I stayed calm for them. Thankfully my daughter did really well and my son not so much. But I made it out alive! I also wanted to dress them in the same color and t-shirt so I could pick them out in case them ran away from me. Thank goodness that never happened. I love the find a mom idea. One mom while I was at the theme park saw be struggling with my son and she helped my daughter onto a ride for me. So the mom thing is always a good idea.
ReplyDeleteYou poor thing! That's a long time in a theme park with only a 1 and 2yr old. I love that the other mom helped your daughter...find a mom, right?!
DeleteFab tips - have pinned this, Alice @ Mums Make Lists
ReplyDeleteThanks! :)
DeleteHi, great ideas! I am a mom of three myself and was always looking for the right way of keeping my kids safe on the go.... I was not really able to find something that combined everything I was looking for.. that's why I created it myself. Please check out www.SmartKidsID.com to keep your kids safe on the go! It's child ID/medical ID bracelets/shoe Id tags using the QR Code technology that your little ones can wear when visiting crowded places! It's really simple and very affordable - no fees, no membership - just the one time cost for the product itself! The QR Code on a product is linked to your child's online id profile! And child ID online profiles are safe and free anyways! We also have a free App for Android (Apple coming in the next couple of days) "SmartKidsID" .... It gives you a peace of mind and can do so much more I can't even describe here.... I hope you like it!
ReplyDelete