Losing kids in a crowd About This Page:

[emtpej]

Originally Posted by Lisa Renninger

I have two bits of advice:
Tell your kids to find a mom if they get lost -- find a woman with kids. No offense to guys out there, but the numbers are pretty overwhelming when it comes to predators -- they are mostly male. And no offense to the male CMs, either -- I'm just saying, a lost kid is better off finding a mom. A mom is going to stay with that kid until that kid is safe back with his/her mom.
Also, make sure your kids know their own full name AND your name. If all they know is "mommy" or "grandma Smith", it's not going to help. I practice with my kids, and do a little drill "little boy, what is your name? What's your mommy's name?" It's the first thing a cop or someone is going to ask them, and if they are confident about the answers, they won't be so scared to answer more questions.
Thanks for the bracelet and bead necklace idea. I'm totally going to do that with my boys, and I'm sure they will love their special name Disney bracelets!

Great advice! We practice "lost" information, too.

[emtpej]

When we go in July, we will have a cell phone for our 8 year old (he has been asking for one since he turned 8), just like his 14 year old brother and the rest of us. Might have better range than FRS radios. He will have ID and his KTTWC in his PassPorter pouch. We also tend to dress the boys in the same colors (and us too) so it is easier to spot each other. I really, really like the mom with kids tip. There have even been youth leaders of all kinds that were really a _______ (fill in the blank).

[disneyfool_1202]

Our last trip DS was 2.5 and had on a lime green shirt just by chance - his grandmother let go of his hand and I had the baby in the stroller. DH was fiddling with the camera and all of a sudden I looked up from the baby and screamed "where's Josh!!" I have never felt so helpless (or wanted to KILL my MIL) so quickly. Luckily I spotted a flash of green weaving in and out of people about 6-8 feet ahead of us. DH started after him and didnt catch him until he ran into a playground he had spotted. Again- I could have KILLED someone for letting go of him. My fear was only made worse by the fact that he has PDD/NOS and doesn't listen to the word STOP very well (not at all actually).

We are heading to WDW again this May and I'm ordering these temporary tatoos that can be personalized for my kids. I'm also going to get him a medical one because of a peanut allergy. Because one lost child is one too many...
I may also get the silicone bracelets as a back up but I'm not sure if he'll keep it on or now.

[Montana Mom]

This has worked for my dd since she was about 5. I give her a hard backed luggage tag (the kind AAA gives you when you book a package) I think it has a hologram or some sort of picture of the castle on it.
Well, on this tag there is a place to write all your contact info. My dd likes to carry a fanny pack and she knows if she ever gets lost to find a "safe person" we have discussed who is safe many times and show them her "special card".

I have never lost her before, but I want her to know what to do. On the other hand, my younger one will be 3 this trip and is quite a runner. We have the "in the stroller" rule at all times when walking. There are many times for her to get out and stretch her legs.

I would also strongly recommend renting a stroller for your child as long as they are willing to sit in one. It's also nice to have the extra space to cart along your belongings.

[Ceara's mawmaw]

I used kid leashes on my girls too, it went around their wrists gave them a little length to walk ahead and could use both hands to look at things and when they were older they knew to stay close enough to touch me, if they couldn't touch me they were too far away 'specially at fireworks and the such. We also set up passwords, they knew if they got lost or at the playground or in a store or even in the front yard if someone they did not know came up to them and said come on we will find your mom or tell them your mom sent me to get you, they would ask for the password. If the person did not know the password they knew to not go with them because I did not send them.

Just a note, please be careful about putting the child's name on anything. Predators will look for things like that. They get the child's confidence because they knew the child's name that they picked up off a bracelet, necklace, shirt, etc.... The if I am lost please call 555-0000 is much better, but not the child's name.....

[jpod523]

I was listening to a podcast a few months ago and they listed this web site: Tottoos.Org Home They're personalizable temporary tattoos to put on your child. They're resonably priced ($15 for 12 of them). Click Ordering for specifics. You can even make them with the medic alert symbol.

If you don't want to buy them, check out your local office goods store and see if they have temporary tattoo paper. I found some tattoo paper at Wal-Mart once (it's been a few years, so I don't even know if they still make it).

[Lori Jakiela]

Originally Posted by Luv4My4

I used 5963 labels and put my DDs first name, my name and cell number, DH's name and cell number the name of our resort and left a spot for our room number which I wrote in when I got there. I printed out enough label sheets for each of my girls for the duration of the trip and then I had them lay on their stomach on the bed every morning and then folded their shirt up halfway and put the label on the very bottom of the shirt so if they got lost the person who found them would just have to fold up the bottom of their shirt to read it. It worked great they never came off and since the label was on the bottom of the shirt where their shorts/pants were they never even noticed they were there. DD Shannon (age 7 at the time) did get separated from us in EPCOT at the China Pavilion when the acrobats were performing. She kept her cool, found a mother with kids (like I told her to if she couldn't find a CM) and told the woman that she was lost and that she had a label on the inside of her shirt. The woman got our number off the label and called us and we had her back in just a few minutes (long enough to give me a few gray hairs though ) Hope this helps!!

Wow! that is a great idea! Thx!!

[Luv4My4]

Originally Posted by Lori Jakiela

Wow! that is a great idea! Thx!!

Your Welcome!! I was reading some of the newer posts and I just wanted to add that I used the labels inside their shirts because I was afraid of predators getting their names from a bracelet or necklace and gaining their trust and this was something I thought of that could be hidden but my girls knew was there so they could tell the person who found them. It worked great for us!!!

[Lori Jakiela]

I agree with the not putting names on the child. I regret getting them the varsity jackets from Dis and putting their names on them. I really should have put their initials. I just thought there would be no confusion at preschool and Kinder. with them. I really limit them wearing them in crowds though, I figure at school this year they are picked up by me though. I saw on one website you can buy the tags that go in their shoes. When we were children my mother had dog tags for us with our name, address and phone number. I wonder if you can still get these. the chain was long enough it was under your shirt. We wore these for years!

Lori

[lanie875]

The silicone bracelets look great! I may get those for all of our outtings
One thing I did for my son who were 4 & 2 at the time was tie bells to their shoelaces. My family made fun of me but it's amazing how you can hear those if you want to but they weren't annoying either. It's just another way to find them if they are starting to wander.
I used cheap luggage tags with our information and put them on their beltloops. I like the bracelets much more.

[Evil_Queen]

I have a label maker that you can make fabric labels. I make them for shirts and shorts. They are great for iron on to shirt pockets.

[j13jdp]

I have read a few of the replies to your post that said the children brought thgeir own cell phones. We refuse to get our 11 year old his own cell phone yet, but last time we visited we got a track phone with 6o minutes on it and preprogrammed my wife's and my cell #s into it. After the trip we just used the phone until we used up the minutes. We will be repeating this on our next trip.

[Kristen C.]

I just found this post...Thank goodness! I just ordered the bracelets for my DS's and neices. On the front they look like personalized bacelets with their names and our resort on the inside they say "please call" and our cell # and names. we also plan on taking the kids pics every morning before we leave the resort.

[sheryll1974]

My DS will be a little over 2 years old when we go. I am bringing his stroller, but I am sure he will want to walk around too. I am thinking about the harness.....good idea?
Also, he is too young for a bracelt or necklace, I think he will take them off.....can someone tell me where to get those labels for the clothes again?

[bfth]

I have a little doggie backpack/harness that I have used on my son before in crowded situations and will certainly be bringing it to use in WDW. Too easy for his little hand to away from mine.