Mommy Tips: What happens if your child gets lost?
Before preparing for a lost child scenario, I lean on the side of prevention. When we're home, before we get out the car, and again while heading to our destination, we talk about the rules while we're out, and safety. I don't sugar coat what might happen if we break the rules, but I also try not to scare my little guy. As in, I'd say that the rules are to keep him safe, instead of saying if you don't follow them you'll make me sad.
My little one is 3 years old, and here's an idea of our conversation:
Me: "Ok, we're going to the supermarket now. Are you going to runaway, or hold my hand once we get out the car?"
My little one: "Hold your hand".
Me: "Very good! If you see something you like, are you going to run to it alone, or will you show mommy and we go together?"
My little one: "We go together!"
Me: "Will you run away?"
My little one: "NO! I'll stay with mommy"
We have similar conversations every time we leave the house, but at some point, he does run ahead, or run down another aisle.
Imagine this...
You're at the mall, supermarket, or a fair with your child, and while you reach into your bag for something, they playfully run off, around a corner, or off in some other direction. You have no idea where they went, and with all the giant people around, they can't find their way back to you. What happens next?
Unless you have a tracker on your child, finding them might not be the easiest thing. But it might be easier to prepare your child for these possible scenarios.
I'm annoyingly optimistic and would love to exist in a realm where my kid could NEVER get lost, but that's not the reality (especially since he loves to run off at times), so I try my best to think worst case scenario.
But first, prevention
But if prevention doesn't work...
In the event he does get lost after this, Ive tried to equip him as best as possible to find me with the help of an adult. Here are some simple tools I've equipped him with:
He knows my full name
Ive heard many times of kids not knowing their parents' names. They're just mom and dad. If your child doesn't know your real name, or even their full name, it'll be difficult for them to find you even if they find an adult to help.
He knows who to approach for help
I worry about predators, and stats show most predators are male, so in the event he needs help and he's lost, I've advised him to find a woman to help him, We haven't learned uniforms yet, but when we do, he'll know to approach someone in uniform for help.
He knows my number
It's been an ongoing process, but I've managed to teach my toddler my phone number. It took lots of repetition, weeks of doing it after bathtime, speaking in different tones and volumes, and he's able to recite it correctly... most times. Still working on it.
He knows what to do
Being prepared for a situation, even a bad one, can help you not feel as scared or nerve racked in the moment. If my little one gets lost, he'll find a female adult, and let them know he's lost. He'll tell her his name, and his mommy's name, and hopefully, be able to recite my phone number correctly. If he can't find my number, at least he knows my name and they can find my info on social media.
That's going to take a while...here's what you can do now
This might be alot, and will take a while to learn, so the next best thing might be to make a simple ID card for your child to show an adult if they get lost. Include your name as the parent, and contact information, laminate, and put it in your child's pocket when you head out.
As scary as it feels for my little one to get lost, which I pray NEVER happens, he should be able to find me long before I file a lost child report.
How prepared is your child?