Emergency wristband, GPS child locating and Co. help to find your child again
27. July 2016 – 17:40 o’clock
An emergency wristband can help quickly
“Be prepared,” is the hash day under which the police in California (USA) wrote a report that inspired all parents. The ‘Colvis Police Department’ advises on Facebook what parents should do next time they take their children to a zoo, amusement park or other big event with large crowds. “Write your phone number on her wrists and make sure she doesn’t leave,” it says, “and take a picture of your kid on your cell phone in the morning of the event so you have an up-to-date (search) picture,” simple tips that are well received not only in the U.S.!
Because it’s the fear of every parent: You just let the child out of your sight for two seconds and suddenly it’s gone. Unfortunately, this can happen very quickly. We’ll show you what preparations you as parents can make so that you can quickly put your child back in your arms if the worst comes to the worst.
Equip child with mobile phone number and address
Not only the police in California advise: Write your number on the arm of your child in large crowds, for example with a skin-friendly pen, so that you can be reached in an emergency when your child is wandering around alone. Then other passers-by who want to help your child do not have to inform a contact point or the police first and can call you directly themselves. This tip is especially useful for toddlers who may be walking and running away but cannot yet really speak or communicate.
Alternatively, you can of course also tie your child a bracelet with your number around your wrist. These so-called ’emergency bracelets’ are available on the Internet in pretty designs. There you will also find numerous instructions on how to make them yourself. In some hotels or on the ship such ribbons are even distributed separately, so that the children cannot get lost.
So that your child does not tear the bracelet from his or her arm when he or she feels like it, there are even bracelets that the children cannot open themselves for their own protection. If you don’t like a bracelet, you can sew the phone number into your child’s clothes or put a note with the number in his pocket.
Whether you should write the name or the address on the ribbon, the arm or the note in addition to the telephone number, the minds argue about it. For toddlers who may not know their full name yet, the name would be a good idea so that they can quickly identify their child and bring it back to you. This may not be necessary for older children. Some parents, for example, warn against this because they believe that a stranger who immediately knows the child’s name could inspire false confidence in the child. Some parents are also careful when giving out the address.
If the child is lost
Locate child
If you want to know exactly where your child is, no matter if it is lost or in general, you can of course use any location. There are wristbands with GPS signals, various apps or small pendants that can be hung on the school satchel. With the help of your mobile phone, you can then always track where your child is on a map. But maybe you shouldn’t overdo it with the control.
memorize a number
Ideally, if your child is a little older, you should help him or her memorize your number. This will save them the trouble of labeling and the child will always be able to contact their mom when something has happened.
Talk to your child about the danger
It is also very important that you prepare your child in case of an emergency so that it does not panic if it is lost. If you lose your child in the zoo in the crowd, it doesn’t have to be a drama immediately. As long as your child knows that mummy is always waiting and is not going home alone, the child can seek help in peace. A suggestion would also be to arrange with the child that it stops exactly at the lost place and shouts out loud: “I’m looking for my mom! So the child quickly gets attention and help.
Of course, you should also make your child aware not to simply go along with strangers, but with the help of others to really only call mum or make an announcement. The child should choose especially trustworthy people, such as other mothers.
arrange a meeting place
A good tip for parents is also to arrange a meeting point with their child where they can meet again if they lose sight of each other. This could be a certain flagpole on the beach, a certain enclosure in the zoo or the entrance to a big event.
In which way you protect your child, of course, all parents must decide for themselves. One or the other tip, however, should be accepted in order to alleviate the care of parents and child in an emergency. It is also very important that you remain calm in the event of an emergency and do not scold the child afterwards, because the child is just as shocked if it suddenly loses mummy as the mother herself. You should not resent the child if it was curious and wanted to look at something, but rather explain to him that mummy was worried. Let’s just hope that your child doesn’t run away so quickly and if it happens to another mother, now you know what to look out for!