IDEA: How To Prepare Your Kids If They Get Lost
Posted by Jen E @ mommablogsalot on March 23rd 2011 in Featured Reviews, Momma's Say, Website (0 Comments)My oldest child is starting kindergarten in the fall. This is a milestone which simultaneously thrills me and terrifies me. He is such a smart, inquisitive child – I have no doubt he is going to love the learning and social opportunities that school provides him.
But it also makes 5a8 me nervous that I won’t be around to protect him all day anymore. He’ll be interacting with strangers and crossing cross walks and taking field trips and going off into the world without me there to constantly guide him. It’s a rite of passage, but a scary one – and we’ve been having lots of informal chats about safety and strangers and rules and emergencies.
For Instance: What to do if he gets lost?
Whether it were during a field trip or if he were to wander off at the mall (god forbid!) – what should he do? What do you tell your children to do in a situation like this?
I told him that if he’s ever lost he should look for a police officer and he should tell the police officer his full name and the name of his mom and dad. I added that he should tell the police officer his address and phone number, too. Then I thought, “He’s five years old. Can I really expect him to remember all that information, especially in a scary situation?” So I started thinking about whether or not I should write his phone number and / or address on his shirts or maybe get him one of those Child IDs (not necessarily a bad idea!), etc.
Then I remembered something that we already have that I could use. I’m a big fan of things I already have.
We’ve reviewed cardstore.com a few times here at Mommas Review – they have a great assortment of greeting cards, stationary and business cards, all printed on 100% post-consumer recycled card stock. And their Mommy Cards would be a perfect thing to slip into your child’s backpack or jacket pocket.
You can customize the cards to look like and say exactly what you want them to – choose a design you like, add some pictures of your kids, include the contact information you want your child to have on hand in an emergency and then slip the cards into any item you think they’ll have with them – and let them know the card is there in case they are ever lost and need to give their phone number to the police.
I know there are several solutions to this kind of problem, but I thought I’d share my little Ah Ha moment for anyone else trying to decide how to prepare your child for that kind of situation – and anyone who bought a pack of Mommy Cards (or wants to) to give to moms at play dates or the playground, there’s another clever use for the cards so you can feel even better about your purchase!
