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You probably worry about your child getting lost. This can specially be hard during festive seaons, when home, events are crowded. Often, news reports increase these concerns. Statistics on missing children by Reuters note that out of the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, there are 89,637 active missing people since 2020 with at least 34% of those being missing juveniles under the age of 18.
Although 99% of the children reported missing in America are found and returned home safely, parents can still be hesitant when bringing their children to public areas.
Rather than letting these dangers hinder a child’s development, parents should instead make the effort to keep them safe while learning. As shared in our post on “Unique Tips for Sustainable Living for a Green Planet”, with pressing issues regarding sustainability, exposure outdoors can help foster children who appreciate their environment and will work towards a greener planet.
By taking safety precautions, parents can ensure their children get exposed to different types of situations and experiences that boost their growth. To help parents, we cover four ways parents can keep their children safe, especially in crowds.
Wear bright colors
The ability to see your child from far away is a blessing in crowded areas. You would do well to ensure they are visible. A bright neon color would do great! Snap a picture of them in their outfit for reference.
Talk to your child
Make sure they know where to come if they miss you. Have a set meeting place, at the entrance or at the car. Also, that they know their phone number and address. It is surprising that many kids today do not care to learn as they think they have their phones on them all the time.
Consider a child leash
Depending on your children’s age, personality and behavior, parents may want to consider having a child leash on their kids.
As shared in a discussion on child leashes on Yahoo! Life, having a leash in an unfamiliar environment can ease a parent’s worries about losing their children in a crowd, while giving them some independence on where they want to go.
Children with developmental disabilities or communication challenges may benefit from a child leash the most, as they may not be able to listen to directions or control their impulses. It’s best to avail of a backpack or harness-style leashes rather than those which attach to wrists, to ensure children are able to keep their balance even if they move further away.
Use a stroller
Toddlers and young children are at the age where they like to walk and run a lot, but adults often underestimate their physical capability. Children at this age get tired easily, so letting them walk the whole way isn’t recommended because they may lag behind and want to sit down somewhere — and you may lose track of them. To save yourself the trouble of carrying heavier children, the ultra-compact pushchairs from iCandy demonstrate how these travel systems make it easy to navigate crowded places for growing families. The strollers also come with seatbelts and brake pedals that are good for keeping your resting child secure in place when needed, especially in popular destinations where you may need to spend the whole day, such as a theme park.
Have identification items on them
Although teaching children their full names and phone numbers is a basic safety rule, little kids have the tendency to forget details in the heat of the moment. Before going out to crowded places, you can have them carry identification items like a bracelet or necklace with your contact information in the event they get lost.
Writing with black smudge proof markers on the hand would do well as well. Velcro ID wristbands or sticker-sealed paper wristbands with fill-in-the-blanks spaces can be good, unintrusive options that your child can easily ignore most of the time.
Provide a smartphone with a family tracker app
For older children, when it’s appropriate, you can provide them with their own smartphones for personal use. Not only do these devices allow you to connect and communicate with each other through calls or messages, but families can also easily track everyone’s locations in real-time digitally. Family tracker application Mobicip Premium provides GPS tracking features, on top of social media monitoring and screen time management that can be good for your child’s online safety. When you’re out and about in a crowded place, it’s good to remind your children to turn up their ringer volume and vibration so they can hear any calls made.
