Is this overkill? Bracelets for kids with our cell phone numbers

[onajourney]

I found a site where I could order the rubber bracelets customized. I put "Please call my parents at XXX-XXX-XXXX or XXX-XXX-XXXX if I'm lost or need help." for a couple bucks a piece. I thought they could wear them around their wrist or ankle.

Is that overkill/paranoid? Now that I placed the order I wonder. My kids are 11, 9 and 5, and while they aren't likely to run off, the older 2 are old enough to go look at something quick on their own in stores, etc. without being attached to us/holding hands at all times. WDW is a huge place and with parades, Illuminations, etc., I could see getting seperated. The 11 and 9yo know our cell phone numbers, but I could see the 9yo drawing a blank if she was scared or nervous.

What do you think?

[bankgirl05]

Better to be overprotective than to not be prepared in an emergency... I just order the Safety Tat's (the temporary tatoos imprinted with If I'm lost please call...) for my kids ages 3 and 1. Plus I plan on taking a picture of each child each morning before we leave the room so there are none of those "oh my god what did I dress them in this morning?" moments. You are not paranoid, it's the best thing to want to protect your children...

[Hannathy]

I think the older two are way too old to need bracelets like that, heck a lot of 11 yr olds have their own phones. maybe the 5 yr old. We just put our name and number on a piece of paper and had our 5 yr old put it in his pocket.

[onajourney]

Originally Posted by Hannathy

I think the older two are way too old to need bracelets like that, heck a lot of 11 yr olds have their own phones. maybe the 5 yr old. We just put our name and number on a piece of paper and had our 5 yr old put it in his pocket.

True, the 11yo wouldn't need it. I will leave that up to him if he wants to wear one. The 5yo would lose the paper. She is just that way. She also has a bit of a speech delay so I am afraid she would be hard to understand. My 9yo panics under pressure. This summer I was dropping her and a friend off at the pool and I told her to call my cell phone when they wanted to go home and she freaked out because she couldn't remember the order of the last four numbers. She had all the numbers, just had them mixed up. If I had casually asked her at home she would have rattled it off no prob. I guess I'd feel better with the 5yo having it and will leave it up to the older 2 to decide if they want them or not. They love those rubber bracelets so maybe they won't think of them as too dorky since lots of kids wear the rubber bracelets anyway.

[thebeesknees]

If you think you will feel better having your kids use them, then use them. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks! In your situation as you explained it, definitely the 5 and 9 year old would be candidates for them. The peace of mind for you will be worth it.

[Hannathy]

You know your kids, I just have an 11 yr old and I can see the face and hear the NOOOO if I tried to get him to wear one!! but especially if the younger two are girls they would probably be more into a bracelet and not be so "you have to be kidding me Mom!"

[JOCAmom]

I don't think you are being too overprotective with the 5 & 9 year old. But I wouldn't make the 11 year old wear one. I would let the 9 year old wear the bracelet around her wrist but for the 5 year old, I would put it around her ankle. It would be much harder for her to remove. Just stress to her about letting a CM know that all the info is on her bracelet.

[riley2008]

We used them. Last year we also took my 11yo cousin. She wore it without question. (We also didn't give her a choice - it was just a "matter of fact", "here, wear this".) It was just a rubber glow-in-the-dark bracelet with our cell number. I think it gave her a sense of safety too.

We've since used them at waterparks and even made my boys wear them on a field trip with their school. (The teacher liked the idea and has purchased neon tyvek bracelets to print out the school name and her cell when there are field trips. No one has ever had to use it, but it's just peace of mind.)

[Microcell]

I am overprotective and proud of it.. I would have something for the oldest to have in their pocket or something I worry about them becoming unconscious somehow.

[CLR4321]

For the younger 2, it's a great idea. Your older child shouldn't really need one unless you really think he or she should have one, or if they want to wear one just in case. It's definitely not overkill, most people with kids younger than 8-10 years old will put some sort of an ID on the child in case they get separated. I made a child ID out of one of our luggage tags (with the castle on it) for my DS to wear around his neck. I just put mine and my boyfriend's first names and our cell # along with our hotel on it. He likes wearing it because it has the castle on there. I saw other parents who had made ID's out of their luggage tags too.

[Chelley00]

We use IDonme.com for our kids. Now not the older ones, but until they were around 10? They were all taught that if Mommy and Daddy got lost, they were to find someone with a name tag and show them their bracelet.

[tjmw2727]

I think your older two should know your cell phone number by heart and your youngest should be working on it. I think the bracelet is a good idea as a back up. They all esp your yongest should know to tell the CM that "this is my Mom's cell #" and show them the bracelet.

I would also make sure they have clear instructions as to what you would like them to do if you get separated. For us it is to stay where you are once you realize you can't find us. The parents will always back track and this way only one party is moving. If a CM finds them I tell them to tell the CM they are to stay put at least for a while and then at some point I know the CM will take them to a central lost and found while they find the "lost parents".

My sil had "dog tags" made at DTD that were disney characters, she put her cell number on them and tied them onto the shoe laces. They were cute and it was obvious what they were without a stranger able to read the info. We were also able to put one on the strap of my neices bathing suit at BB and on my nephew's crocs. Just another idea for those reading along who haven't ordered bracelets.

[Megkel]

Honestly I would have all the kids wear them regardless of age. I know my husband when in a stressful situation looses all common sense and he is a smart guy. It would be one less worry that they would have the number for sure. If you doubt your 11 year old would wear the braclet on his wrist have him put it on his belt loop. If he doesn't need it that's great but if he needs it and he doesn't have it the situation could quickly become frantic.

[crisi]

My kids (now ten and eleven) have known our cell phone numbers for years.

Prior to that we'd write on their arm with a Sharpie. We tried dogtags on the shoes, and lost one of them the first day. The second one ended up on the pair of shoes they wore day one, and we forgot to move them. Sharpie doesn't get lost and the pen is in the backpack.

[Kim1964]

My kids (13 and 7) wore them this year and last. My 13 yo has her own cell but I didn't let her take it to the parks with her. She didn't mind wearing the bracelet and it actually came in handy when she and her uncle went to the wrong place to catch up with our group and had to call to find us. I also think it's good to have the numbers on them because if something really bad happened and the child was unconscious he/she wouldn't be able to tell anyone their parents' numbers.