24 Feb 6 Rules for Keeping Kids Safe in Crowded Places
I am a naturally anxious parent. As such, I constantly check on my kids. When they’re eating, I check to make sure they’re not choking. When they’re showering, I check to make sure they’re not drowning. When they’re sleeping, I check to make sure they’re still breathing.
© Jamie Pearson
When we travel, I kick my hyper-vigilance up a notch. I watch my kids so carefully that I almost don’t blink. Even so, in our travels, I’ve managed to momentarily misplace my kids three heart-stopping times: once on a beach, once at Disneyland, and once at London’s Heathrow airport.
If you travel enough with your kids, getting temporarily separated is just a fact of life. Here are six family rules to make – and keep – so that when it happens to you, the experience will be short and no more traumatic that it has to be.
1. Label your kids
It doesn’t matter whether you have bracelets made for your children, tuck your business card into their pants pocket, or write on their arms with indelible ink, just make sure your cell phone number is on them somewhere (don’t forget the correct international calling code if you’re overseas).
2. Memorize their outfits
When you’re leaving your hotel for the day, take a moment to mentally note what your kids are wearing from head to toe. Have them do the same to you, so they can spot you easily in a crowd. Taking this one step further, when packing, choose shirts in bright colors that are easily picked out.
3. Take photos
Another thing you can do on your way out the door to give you peace of mind is to snap a couple of quick pictures of your children on your cell phone. That way, if they do go missing, you can easily show and distribute the picture to employees, security guards, and police officers.
4. Tell them to stay put
Teach kids (and remind them every time you travel) that if they get lost, they should stay in the exact location where they last saw you. Obviously, this often goes out the window with toddlers, preschoolers, and children who are panicking, but if they do remember, it gives you that much less territory to cover in your search.
5. Teach them to find a mom
I’ve taught my kids that if they are lost, they should find and latch on to a mother. Why? Because mothers will generally stay calm and stay with your child until you are reunited. Here’s what kids need to say, once they’ve selected a mother to help them: “Excuse me, I’m lost. Can you please help me call my mom?”
6. Practice, practice, practice
All the rules in the world won’t help if your kid forgets them – and kids do. This is why you need to role play the lost scenario over and over on a regular basis. Ask your kids the following questions every time you travel: What would you do if you got lost here? Who would you ask for help? What would you say to her? Hopefully, they’ll never need to do these things for real, but if they do, they’ll be ready.
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