Children's Identification

[wdw-ocd]

Although dh and I will have our hawk eyes on when it comes to making sure our kids are close by and safe at all times, I know it's a good idea to give them some sort of i.d. (especially for 6 yr old dd who's a social bunny and will strike up a converstation with anyone!:wave2: ).

What kind of i.d. do you use/recommend?

[solferino]

my DH is an avid biker and runner and has a road-id ( www.roadid.com ) in case he's ever in an emergent situation. They're a little on the pricey side, but hold a lot of information on a dog-tag sized pendant.

DD doesn't have one (yet) but I'm contemplating getting her one before the next trip.

[blessdmommy]

We like to have dog tags on their shoes (so that they aren't easily readable by passing strangers but easily noticeable by CMs who might be helping our children)

We got a set of 2 dog tags from www.armynavy.com for $5.95 with free 1st class shipping. We thought it was a great deal for our 2 kids. We just attached the chain to their laces or straps on their shoes for "just in case" and had peace of mind. The tags are stainless steel (very durable). We had their names and our cell phone numbers engraved on them with plenty of room to spare if we needed to mention alleriges, etc. I highly recommend them (we've ordered from them twice)

I will comment on a product we tried from kidtagz. The tag is fine but the area where they let you write your information would keep any of the ink from any of our pens. It would smear so easily that I didn't trust it to use.

HTH

[I'mNoPrince]

We used the Dog tag type . Just her first name ours and our cell number.

We got one at AK in the shop after Dino. and another At the US store at MCO. She either had it on her shoe ot pinned in her pocket.

Never needed it but it was nice to have . Also told her to only get someone that was on a cash register to help her.
,This was to insue it was a CM.

[Oceana]

i am of the dogtag group

I have them laced on the laces of the shoes. Wherever we bought them they came in sets of 2. One I kept on a necklace and gave to my son to wear on his neck, giving him some control... he is 3 and control is something he enjoys

the one for my then 1 year old I safty pinned on the back of his shirt easy to see and find if you are looking

julie

[LynnTH]

We ordered bracelets from www.idonme.com. They open up and you can store a bunch of info inside the bracelet. Never had to use it but glad they had them.

[tjmw2727]

My SIL also did the dog tag with her cell # and the childs first name. She did them herself in the machine at Wallmart. They are cute, a pink heart for my neice and a blue star for my nephew. The like them and "shoe charms" are popular now :).

My SIL uses them often for trips to the zoo etc esp when she is alone with the two of them as they are both preschoolers.

TJ


TJ

[dcherry]

For .69 cents each I bought the little key tags that have a plastic window area and come with a chain that can be opened to pull through a shoe lace, belt loop or such.

[doug46]

We have these id cards that fit nicely in their pockets and we have copies in my wallet.

You can never be too safe. We plan to have another talk with the kids about strangers tonight in light of hte CNN.com video newsclip I just saw. It was about a convicted sexual offender who had led a little girl away from the pool at the Swan at WDW over a hill and behind some bushes. Fortunately, the same guy had been asking odd questions of another little girl at the pool (where are your parents, point them out to me, do they know you are on the slide...) and her (I would guess) 12 year old brother took notice. So when the 12 year old notice the guy leading another little girl away from the pool he followed them. He saw the man touch the girl inappropriately and summoned his dad and 4 lifeguards. They were able to hold the man until police arrived. According to CNN.com, he had a 40 year criminal history including sexual assault.

My perception of the WDW resorts as a safe place for kids to have a little freedom just took a hit. You have to watch the little ones closely and teach them to be very careful of strangers.

[HoosierFantasia]

I have recently been taking a digital picture of our two girls with us before the trip. I shrink it and print it and write on the back.
Me with my Mommy and Daddy
Daddy's cell #######
Mommy's Cell #####
I then will laminate it to keep it looking nice and in good shape.
The kids will keep these in their pockets and are instructed to show it to police officers and people that sell stuff. We also take digital picture each morning of the kids in the clothes they have on that day just in case if they get lost the cm's can quickly get the pic out to other cms.

I think that its important to keep a very close eye on your kids at all times. Disney is much safer than most places but it can still happen.

Bill

[familyfirsttimer]

http://www.whosshoesid.com/

We used these on our Aug 06 trip and they were great because they could go on the strap of their sandals or they could wear them on their ankle/wrist. My DD7 and DD4 never complained about them at all, just made sure they were on every day. Well worth it, I should try to remember I have them and use them places at home too! Good luck!

[I'mNoPrince]

Another good tip is to take a picture first thing each day . That way if anything happens you will know exactly what they are wearing and have it as a reference.

[doug46]

I completely agree with I'mnoprince. We take a picture with our cell phone before we leave the room each morning. No need to try to remember what they were wearing, how they had their hair... If they get lost, you can show everyone looking for them the picture of exactly what they are looking for. Great piece of mind.

[wdw-ocd]

Thanks for the great ideas everyone! I think the dog tags/shoe i.d. is the way to go for my crew since they won't be as likely to take them off. Also, taking the daily photo is such a clever idea! You can never be too careful (as proven by the perv at the Swan!)

[Claud26]

not sure if you are familiar with Lovable Labels ... but we got our kids the ID Wristbands. They kind of look cool and are Waterproof and come in various colors
check it out:
http://www.claudia.lovablelabels.ca/NewProducts.aspx?id=5

[tjlovespooh]

We just returned from our trip and used "Tottoos" on DS. Every day at least 3-6 people commented on what a great idea they were and asked where to get some for thier own children. I'm including a quote from another thread where someone referenced the usefulness of thier tottoos. I think one of the best thing about the tottoos is that they are clearly visible on the child's arm without anyone (strangers) having to get too close to the child. Anyway, here's the quote:
QUOTE
Tottoos saved my child!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am the type that doesn't let the kids out of my sight for a moment, and my husband is as aware as I am. We taught them what to do in an emergency so we feel like we're as prepared as anyone can be. We're big fans of Tottoos (tottoos.org) because we've used other types of ID tags before but I personally don't like the idea of strangers having to get super close to my kids to read a necklace; the print on them is really small.

We went to Disney last weekend (4/21) with my son 8 and daughter 6. We were at the Magic Kingdom, and we've been there many times before. We were headed toward the carousel and my son ran over to the Sword in the Stone and asked us to take his picture while he tried to pull it out. My husband took a picture, then told him to do it again so he could zoom in better, and I took the camera to look at the pictures he took. We're talking about 10 seconds. Then we noticed that our daughter wasn't with us and we all started calling out for her. In less than a minute everything went from having a great day together to sheer terror, because she isn't the type to wander away and we were thinking the worst. She's a beautiful girl, and she disappeared away from us without a sound.

Then my husband's cell phone rang. It was a family down by the Small World ride with our daughter and said they would wait with her until we got there.

When we got close our daughter came running up and said she was so sorry. The mom told me that if our number wasn't right there on her hand, they would not have known what to do. She said she wouldn't have felt comfortable checking around to look for bracelets or ask her for personal information. She said she saw our number right away. I told her we were by the carousel and if she hadn't called we would have had a dilemma...to keep searching the park or to go to security. We would have split up. It would have been an awful night. She told me this was great for people who find a lost child because it's so non-invasive and asked me where she could get them for her kids.

As it turned out my daughter saw someone walking by in a Tinkerbell costume in a crowd of people and thought she was a Disney employee. She started following her because she thought we would want to have a picture taken with her. When she realized it wasn't "the real Tinkerbell" she started looking for us in the wrong direction, and that's when this kind family saw her by herself and called us.

Just wanted to share my story and this info with you.
END QUOTE

[wdw-ocd]

What an original idea! I've never heard of them before. Any idea of how long they last before they start to peel off?

[Dancemom03]

DD6 has a purple heart we made in the machine at walmart. It's small enough to fit on her charm bracelet (and she gets to buy a couple of new charms at wdw to add each trip so that makes her even happier) but it would also go on a shoelace easily for boys or kids who won't keep bracelets or necklaces on. It was under $5 as I remember.

We included her name on the first line and both our cell numbers on the lines under it. I've heard you shouldn't dress children in items that have their names on them for security purposes. Because the small tag is not that large and engraved on only one side it isn't overly obvious to be read by strangers but DD knows it's there and we feel a bit better knowing she has some sort id on her just in case.

When I walked past walmart's id tag machine the other day there was a new picture of disney pets tags available to make now. I think we'll check those out too!

[tjlovespooh]

What an original idea! I've never heard of them before. Any idea of how long they last before they start to peel off?

I put a tottoo on DS forearm every morning and it lasted all day. There was only one day that a tottoo came off early and that was because I put sunblock on DS before the tottoo and it didn't adhere to his skin as well I guess. All the other days I put the tottoo on, let it dry for a few minutes and then applied sunblock, no problems. I never had a problem with them coming off even after reapplying sunblock throughout the day. They're more of an adhesive really, not like the regular kiddie tattoos everyone's accustomed to. They say to remove them after 12-18 hours so that the skin doesn't get irritated. DS skin was fine even though we left one on overnight accidently(late night at MK).
Here's the link to the site:
http://www.tottoos.org/

[disneydad424]

I also bought the Tottoos, and used it last week in Washington, DC with my 4 kids. These things are great, and better than anything I've tried before (lots of $$ down the drain...hello, clip on tags anyone?)

Anyways, it rained hard on one day, but the tottoos stayed on my kids hands just fine. My kids all love wearing them. Other people on the subway saw them and wanted to know how to get them. I was thinking that these things are so visible that random people can just spot them, and felt good that if my kids ever got lost, god forbid!, someone would definitely be able to see the info to call me.

At $15, it gave me the added peace of mind I needed for my kids, since I'm a single Dad crazy enough to travel with 4 kids!!

I am reordering for our next Disney trip in July for sure, as my kids love Blizzard Beach!

[bumbershoot]

We went to Disney last weekend (4/21) ....As it turned out my daughter saw someone walking by in a Tinkerbell costume in a crowd of people and thought she was a Disney employee. She started following her because she thought we would want to have a picture taken with her. When she realized it wasn't "the real Tinkerbell" she started looking for us in the wrong direction, and that's when this kind family saw her by herself and called us.


Buuuuttttt, they don't allow adults to be in costume, except for at special events...

I'm not doubting, it just seemed an odd part of the person's story that you were quoting!

And it's a PERFECT example of WHY they don't allow others to go in costume!


*********
Back to the question. I've never ordered, but while doing some internet scavenger hunting, I've run across Chicks and Cubs (http://www.chicksandcubs.com/safety.htm) many times, and that link is to their safety items.

[alloyd1170]

I may have to try tottoos for our upcoming trip. Both my kids wear a stainless steel id bracelet all the time (even at home). The top has a design on it, and the back has their name, dob, home # and our names with our cell #s. I got them from childsidinc.com. There is another website that sells laser engraved ones (which I will get next since they can be read better).

alison

[momsoftwins]

i went to disney 4-24 thur 5-1 solo with 2 3 yr olds. what i did was use the disney luggage tags they sent me and turned the paper over to the blank side. wrote the childs name ,my name, my cell number as well as hubbies too. and the resort we stayed at. then every morning put it on their belt loop of the shorts they had on. i also told them for weeks b4 the trip if the get lost from me to go in to a "shopping store" and ask help from some one with a name badge on. thank the lord they never got lost but i felt good know that they had the info on them.

[brymolmom]

I personally don't like the chain around neck thing with dogtags for my kids - getting off and on rides it is too dangerous because they're still young - might get stuck and choke them.

I make-my-own laminated nametags - child's name, parents name, cell phone numbers, resort where we're staying and hometown. I decorate them with Disney stickers and put a pin through the top and attach it near the bottom of their shirt.

There WAS some resistance to wearing them the first time or two...but we just made it the 'rule' that we couldn't go to a park without them - now they're used to them. We get a lot of comments and the characters love it when we see them and if they have that character's sticker on the nametag.

Oh and one tidbit I learned in an article...we always teach - if we're ever separated, to go find 'another mommy who has her kids near her' and ask her for help (my kids tend to think any adult female is a mommy - so I specify one with kids). Police officers, while great, are usually men. And police uniforms are different and can either be impersonated outright or just look alot like an outfit someone has on...and that leads your child to a man first thing. No offence against men...but statistically speaking - your child is WAY more likely to find help and not evil intentions if he/she goes to a woman instead of a man. CM's at Disney are great but it might take a 3 year old a while to find one...where mommies are all over the place. And just think...if a young one came to you - you would likely hang onto that child until a parent was found. It's almost like a club - you'd want someone to do that for you - so you would watch that child like your own until mom or dad is located. Anyway - maybe not the best thing 100% of the time - but IMO - as far as statistics go...it is the best thing the vast majority of the time.

[maidenfairy]

We have the whoshoesid and really like it. I also Print id cards from mouseforless and add our info. and lamenate them. I put those in his pocket and he knows to pull them out if he gets lost. I like the idea of the totoos. and I like the dog tag idea too. What an informative board.

[tjmw2727]

I personally don't like the chain around neck thing with dogtags for my kids - getting off and on rides it is too dangerous because they're still young - might get stuck and choke them. >>snip


Oh and one tidbit I learned in an article...we always teach - if we're ever separated, snip>>

.

We put the "pet tag" on the childs shoe for this reason :) They are big enough to notice if your looking for some ID but small enough that you coudn't read it without being obvious. The new Disney ones are very cute!

ITA about teaching and practicing. When my dd's were little and we were out I would often play "what would you do right now if we got separated" and have them look around to see what to do. We also talked about getting separated on an elevator etc.

TJ

[meandtheguys2]

I'm surprised that woman didn't take your daughter to a Cast Member who is trained to deal with lost parents. That whould have been my first response. And surprised she didn't know where to get them. It is advertised on the tattoo.

I learned about the dog tags on shoes on this board, and have found it to be an excellent choice. Luckily, we've never had to depend on them! We also role play. It is a powerful teaching tool for kids, and adults. It trains the brain to respond and remember.

[kaysmommie]

I have recently been taking a digital picture of our two girls with us before the trip. I shrink it and print it and write on the back.
Me with my Mommy and Daddy
Daddy's cell #######
Mommy's Cell #####
I then will laminate it to keep it looking nice and in good shape.
The kids will keep these in their pockets and are instructed to show it to police officers and people that sell stuff. We also take digital picture each morning of the kids in the clothes they have on that day just in case if they get lost the cm's can quickly get the pic out to other cms.

I think that its important to keep a very close eye on your kids at all times. Disney is much safer than most places but it can still happen.

Bill

That is a good idea. The ones that go on shoelaces would not work because my kids often wear sandals or crocs at Disney. But I'm starting to think ID is a must. I watch my kids like a hawk and hold their hands when walking through any store or park but you can never be too safe. thanks for posting this.

[kaysmommie]

I personally don't like the chain around neck thing with dogtags for my kids - getting off and on rides it is too dangerous because they're still young - might get stuck and choke them.

I make-my-own laminated nametags - child's name, parents name, cell phone numbers, resort where we're staying and hometown. I decorate them with Disney stickers and put a pin through the top and attach it near the bottom of their shirt.

There WAS some resistance to wearing them the first time or two...but we just made it the 'rule' that we couldn't go to a park without them - now they're used to them. We get a lot of comments and the characters love it when we see them and if they have that character's sticker on the nametag.

Oh and one tidbit I learned in an article...we always teach - if we're ever separated, to go find 'another mommy who has her kids near her' and ask her for help (my kids tend to think any adult female is a mommy - so I specify one with kids). Police officers, while great, are usually men. And police uniforms are different and can either be impersonated outright or just look alot like an outfit someone has on...and that leads your child to a man first thing. No offence against men...but statistically speaking - your child is WAY more likely to find help and not evil intentions if he/she goes to a woman instead of a man. CM's at Disney are great but it might take a 3 year old a while to find one...where mommies are all over the place. And just think...if a young one came to you - you would likely hang onto that child until a parent was found. It's almost like a club - you'd want someone to do that for you - so you would watch that child like your own until mom or dad is located. Anyway - maybe not the best thing 100% of the time - but IMO - as far as statistics go...it is the best thing the vast majority of the time.

I told my DD the same thing, the mom with kids is always a good choice. DS just turned 3 so he doesn't quite get it yet. But I can surely say that if a child approach me and my family I wouldn't rest until their parents were found. And I'm definately a park commando.

[txmomto1]

we are another dog tag family from wal-mart. we did not need it, but he liked wearing it.

we also go every morning, and point out a cast member, and tell him to look for one of their names tags if he gets lost.

[wdw-ocd]

we are another dog tag family from wal-mart. we did not need it, but he liked wearing it.


Where in WalMart do they sell dog tags? Do they do the engraving too?

Thanks!

[txmomto1]

They have a machine, that is normally near the front of the store, and is primarily used for dog tags, but they do have necklaces you can purchase for the tags.

They are not expensive, just a few dollars.

[tjmw2727]

That is a good idea. The ones that go on shoelaces would not work because my kids often wear sandals or crocs at Disney. But I'm starting to think ID is a must. I watch my kids like a hawk and hold their hands when walking through any store or park but you can never be too safe. thanks for posting this.

Just fyi the dog tag style can go on a shoelace or you can put it on a key ring and attach it to a belt loop, a buckle or belt and or a tie from a waist band or a shirt. My sil even put them on the bathing suit - string tie in the back for my neice and waist string for my nephew.

I have also seen the rubber bracelets that are popular now (livestrong) as kids id's.

TJ

[wdw-ocd]

They have a machine, that is normally near the front of the store, and is primarily used for dog tags, but they do have necklaces you can purchase for the tags.

They are not expensive, just a few dollars.

Hmmm, I've never seen them at our WalMart. (and considering how often I go to WalMart I know where everything is!:lmao:)
I wonder if they're not available in Canada. I hope not as this is a really good idea!

[tjmw2727]

Hmmm, I've never seen them at our WalMart. (and considering how often I go to WalMart I know where everything is!:lmao:)
I wonder if they're not available in Canada. I hope not as this is a really good idea!

Around here they are in the front with the customer service desk. Usually along with one of those machines where you try to claw a stuffed animal, and a couple of coin operated gum and sticker machines.

They are easy to miss if you aren't looking for something like that. If you have a pet store chain like pet smart (pet supermarket) they usually have them as well.

HTH
TJ

[bearloch]

Something that I did and still do is put bright colored shoe laces on my daughters shoes and matched them with mine they are easier to see in a crowd you can look for their shoes and they can you. Also if god forbid there was a kidnnapping attemp I heard the they often change shirts right away if possible but maybe not shoes!

Its so scarry anymore can;t be too carefull

[DisneyDivaMom]

Last December my 8 yo dd and I became separated at Epcot. I had instructed her on what to do in this instance. She was wearing a fanny pack in which we had placed a card with my name on it and my cell phone #. She went straight up to a cashier and presented the card and stated she was lost. In the meantime I am talking with a CM who is getting a description of my dd. I also take a before we leave the room picture of her which I showed the CM on my camera. Not 2 minutes later my cell phone rang and it was the cast member whom my dd walked over to. I like this system as my dd isn't showing any information on her person. She is learning delayed and did fine with this. I sure hope I can teach her how to use a phone by the next time we go to WDW. She will be 10 then and if she can operate a cell phone, I will get her a trac phone.