Child ID methods ??? About This Page:

[Carousel96]

Your biggest risk is your child getting out of sight -- around a corner, on the other side of a group -- more than truly "separated".
I wasn't worried about DD knowing to find a CM, or remembering her name or mine. But I was worried about her not knowing my cell # - the one thing that would let a CM tell me she'd been found and was safe. We only use our cell phones for outgoing calls, so DD didn't know my cell number. Heck, DH still doesn't know my cell number!
So I made her a necklace of beads -- her first name, "mom's cell" and the number. It was long enough to hang inside her collar, but she knew it was there.
She also wore it to the state fair, Sea World, other places with crowds.
She's 9 and this year and this year I think I can just give her a card for her wallet. It's not about ID'ing her -- she can handle that part. But she doesn't use the cell number, so in a panic may not remember it.

[momof2princessess]

I just read through all of the tips, suggestions and ideas and now I can't decided which method to use! I like all of them and was pondering this issue just recently with my DH.

[WillCAD]

Originally Posted by Carousel96

Your biggest risk is your child getting out of sight -- around a corner, on the other side of a group -- more than truly "separated".
I wasn't worried about DD knowing to find a CM, or remembering her name or mine. But I was worried about her not knowing my cell # - the one thing that would let a CM tell me she'd been found and was safe. We only use our cell phones for outgoing calls, so DD didn't know my cell number. Heck, DH still doesn't know my cell number!
So I made her a necklace of beads -- her first name, "mom's cell" and the number. It was long enough to hang inside her collar, but she knew it was there.
She also wore it to the state fair, Sea World, other places with crowds.
She's 9 and this year and this year I think I can just give her a card for her wallet. It's not about ID'ing her -- she can handle that part. But she doesn't use the cell number, so in a panic may not remember it.

Originally Posted by momof2princessess

I just read through all of the tips, suggestions and ideas and now I can't decided which method to use! I like all of them and was pondering this issue just recently with my DH.

The best method of reuniting with a lost kid is to go to a CM and report that your kid is lost. Don't keep looking for the kid on your own more than a few minutes - if the kid is lost and truly out of your immediate area, the lost child procedures that Disney has in place are the best and fastest method of locating your kid.

So long as YOU have reported the kid missing, WDW's lost child system will always be able to contact you when your kid is found. It's not necessary for your kid to know your contact info, as long as YOU supply your contact info to the system by approaching any CM and reporting your kid lost. When your kid is found, the system will immediately reunite you.

[Sunnikc]

I hadn't really thought about this until now. My two are 8 and 10...10 year old knows all our numbers backwards and forwards...8 yr old...not so much....so I'll be working with him the next few weeks up until our trip to at least memorize one of our numbers. Also may look into some of the options here as well.
We lost dd once in Walmart...by the time I'd found someone to help they were calling me on the intercom to come get her (she was just 3 then but could tell them her name and my first name). DS we also lost once...at a local renaissance festival. Now that one was way scary as it was wall to wall people at times...luckily dh found him before we even found an employee to report it to.

[jenjen1127]

Sometimes I think we overdo it with my grandson but as they say "better safe than sorry". We had a dog tag made up that we clip to the loops on his pants that give his first name and his mom's cell and my cell. Then we put a temporary tattoo on his forearem. Then I make up little cards the size of a business card with his name and stating which hotel we are at and the two cell numbers and stick in deep in his pocket. I've always told him if you are lost and scared go to a mommy that has children and ask for help but I really liked the idea that someone posted about going inside a store and asking a cast member behind the counter for help. There could be no mistakes with that. It is such a frightening thought about losing your child.

[nurse_mom]

FYI--After we lost our DD then4. (I shouldn't say we I need to say my mom and my husband) She was Returned to us by some stanger, who I never got to thank. Disney Castmember suggested going to member services. They have little mickey ears and on the back you can put your hotel and name and cell number, it has a string to put on your child's belt loop or what ever. I will be getting these, or something else the next time we go. That entire 15 min she was gone, still makes me have chills, want to vomit, and cry.

[tdhc]

We just ordered the tempory tats and got them in for the kids. The kids loved them and are excited about wearing them. We got them from the site posted here a while back at Child ID Temporary Safety Tattoos to prevent lost kids :: SafetyTat . I think this will be a good way to make us feel better about the "just in case".

Happy Planning!

[KimbalovesDisney]

I love the idea of the tags for pets on the shoes, because I read somewhere that Disney does a lot of thier security on shoes. I made my kids where the same bright colored shirts (red, orange,purple) to make them easier to spot and to identify easily if lost. I wouldt use the kttw because if someone takes it or they lose it, items can be charged to your room I think. When my boys were very little, I used small dog leashes and attatched to back of their jeans when we were in a crowd and too old for a carriage. But my older son has ADHD and he was fast, and also didnt like a lot of physical contact (holding hands) which later we realized was a sign of autism. Some people gave looks, but I had him safe

[sarah174]

Originally Posted by tdhc

We just ordered the tempory tats and got them in for the kids. The kids loved them and are excited about wearing them. We got them from the site posted here a while back at Child ID Temporary Safety Tattoos to prevent lost kids :: SafetyTat . I think this will be a good way to make us feel better about the "just in case".

Happy Planning!

These are so cute and my kids mght actually wear them.
Thanks!

[jblondie1999]

On our last trip we used a combination of things. Our kids never wander off, but being in such a crowded and very cool place, well, I was worried they would be so excited and not pay attention. We always started the morning with pics at a new location at our resort. I used those mini dog leashes hooking them onto their belt loops while we were in very crowded areas on our 1st days there. Since it was always raining and that was a pain with the ponchos we bought them those pin trading lanyards with the card pocket. Using our resort stationary, I wrote our names, cell #s, and attatched our mini itinerary cards to that. They were begging for the lanyards so that worked out great. Even though we explained which ones were CMs, I think when we started the whole pin trading really instilled in them how to find them.

[AngelLily03]

I made a luggage tag that I could attach to her belt loop. It had her name, names of our travel party, cell phones in order of to be called, and the names of family back home just in case. Many parents also take a picture of the kids first thing after getting dressed to you know exactly what they are wearing.

[LilithsMommy]

Over the summer, I had ordered one of these bracelets for my DD (almost 3). https://www.makemethis.com/ssl/bracelets.main.php We'll be leaving for WDW next Saturday. I wanted to make sure she had something with her name and our cell phone #s just in case. There will be 4 adults and her, so I doubt anything would happen, but you never know. My brother and I had bracelets just like these when we were younger, that's why I thought of it. She wears it whenever we go anywhere and I always have my cell on me.

[Pax]

Originally Posted by jblondie1999

[...] we bought them those pin trading lanyards with the card pocket. Using our resort stationary, I wrote our names, cell #s, and attatched our mini itinerary cards to that. They were begging for the lanyards so that worked out great.

That's an awesome idea! Even the littlest child can remember to "show the CM your card" ... with mom & dad's cell-phone numbers, hotel name and room numbers, and so on printed right there.

Even though we explained which ones were CMs, I think when we started the whole pin trading really instilled in them how to find them.

Still, people - even adults - can make mistakes. In January, my friend Jeremy had a blue lanyard - just one that he'd bought. People kept assuming he was a CM, and coming up to him for trades, never bothering to see if he also had a name-tag.

In a prior thread on this general topic, someone said they told their kids to look for another MOM if they ever got lost, even if it wasn't their mom, and ask for help. The idea being, a mother is more likely to (a) be able to reassure a lost, frightened child; (b) more likely to take the time to help out; (c) probably safer than "any random stranger"; (d) a good second-choice bet for safety and assistance, if the child can't find (or know how to recognise) who is or isn't a CM.