As the summer vacations near, it's almost time for families to attend local festivals, visit places like the Zoo and take vacations. And while these adventures are always a great way to spend some quality family time together, going to crowded places, especially with young children can get stressful. There are some basic safety tips that can give you peace of mind this summer.
Justin Lavelle, Communications Director for BeenVerified.com, shares these tips for families. BeenVerified.com is a tool that keeps families safe, by giving you access to information about neighborhoods and people interacting with your child.
From the macaronikid.com
1.Create an Action Plan
Make sure your family has an action plan so that your kids know exactly what to do in the event you get separated, whether it’s the grocery store or Disney World. Create a clear cut strategy so your child will panic less and feel more able to handle the situation. If necessary, write the info down and have them put it in their pocket with your cell phone number. Always determine a place to meet at any location you’re going, such as the information desk.
2.Keep Young Kids Close
The child leash gets a bad rap, but for ages 3-5 they can come in very handy. It’s about safe parenting, not someone else’s opinion. A child leash allows freedom while also insuring their safety. The same rule of thumb goes for putting an older child in a stroller.
3. Look for the Helpers
Teach your kids who to look for in the event of an emergency. Statistically the person who is least likely to harm a child and offer the most support is a woman with children. So encourage your child to find a mom with kids and ask her for help. Also point out an employee so your child can see what the uniforms look like. Other good helpers are police officers and security guards.
4.Provide Your Children with I.D.
It’s best not to include your child’s name visibly so your child isn’t lured away by a stranger calling their name, but do provide them with a phone number. You can order child I.D. safety tattoos from SafetyTat.com. Safety tattoos are fun and colorful kids temporary tattoos that are applied to the arm of your child. They provide a highly visible form of identification that stays in place even when wet. You can include your mobile number and the place you are staying. You can also write your mobile number on your child’s arm with a permanent marker.
5.Use KidTracker for Older Kids
For tweens and teens with mobile phones, download the app KidTracker to your phones. This way you’ll always be able to find your child. For children old enough to handle the responsibility, you can pick up an affordable pay-as-you-go phone and put enough money on it for the trip. It can then be used for any situation where you want to keep in communication with your kids. Although mobile phones are very helpful, they aren’t always reliable. Have an alternative plan in case the cell phone doesn’t work.
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