Do you let your children wear

[Disneemomee]

the badges with there name on them. I never usaully let them where anything withther names on it b/c of the fear that a stranger or a predator would have one more piece of info about my child. The concept being if a stranger knows my name , that they are not a stranger. my girls are only 6 and three , any input would be helpful ?

 

[Goobergal99]

Totally agree with you. I would never allow my child to wear anything with her name on it either. To many weirdos out there and my kiddle is way to innocent and trusting.

 

[LisaNJ25]

I do.. they also have alot of personalized clothing with their name on ir.

Do you call out to your child in public? A stranger can easily get their name that way.

 

[Goobergal99]

Hmm.... Good point.

 

[Hannathy]

Yes my kids wore them when they were little(2 1/2 and 7) and loved them. They also wear clothes with their names. I am not going to fixate on abductions read the statistics, non family abductions are extremely rare.

 

[GEM]

Yep. I do. T-shirts and hats, too. If someone is intent on abducting a child, they're going to do it whether they know their name or not. And, yes, all they would have to do is spend 30 seconds in our general area and they would know his name anyway.

 

[wrldpossibility]

but I agree with the majority in most situations. My boys will have t-shirts with their names on them in Disney, and will probably get mickey ear hats with names too. Like others said, everyone nearby will know my kids' names within 30 seconds!

In some ways, I feel my kids are almost safer in a big crowded place like Disney because we go over safety rules constantly while in that environment. I can see them being more trusting in a grocery store at home (more familiar and they feel more safe) than somewhere like Disney. They are "on their guard" so to speak while on vacation.

It's far more dangerous to put their pics or names on the internet than let them wear a nametag for the day. IMHO. Just go over the rules every day.

 

[Disneemomee]

Thanks for the input i really never thought of how easy it is for sommone to hear me saying there names, lord knows i have yelled ther names plenty of times in crowded places. I will probal get them the personalized name tags to wear in disney i sure they will love them

 

[fran99999]

I purchased (now dont yell) 3 pet tags with my now DS7 name, address and my cell # one for each pair of shoes.

He has worn them on his sneakers and shoes since he started walking I attach them to the laces right when I purchase the new shoes and discard the old shoes.

My DS was an escape artist at 2 yrs old. He learned to climb over our 3 foot fence to the point I had to stay with him in our nice enclosed play yard I built specially for him. LOL

 

[DisneyDotty]

We (me, DH, DD12 and DS7) wore name tags last year at WDW and will do so again this year. The personal attention from CMs was so much fun!
And I agree with other posters--statistically, children are MUCH more likely to be victimized by someone they know rather than a stranger. Unfortunately, we need to be more careful of those we know...

 

[allison443]

I purchased (now dont yell) 3 pet tags with my now DS7 name, address and my cell # one for each pair of shoes.

He has worn them on his sneakers and shoes since he started walking I attach them to the laces right when I purchase the new shoes and discard the old shoes.

Actually I think this is a good idea!!!

 

[Longsx3]

The first time I heard of this was 2 weeks ago when I mentioned to DSis-in-law that we wanted to buy a gold name plate for DNiece (7) for Christmas she said thanks but no thanks I don't allow her to wear anything with her name on it...it took a phone cal to DMIL to find out why. DD(9) has her name on everything, frankly I never even thought about stranger danger. As others have said, we say her name in public etc. Besides which if a bad person is close enough to read a name plate or even a badge, I am not sure that not wearing their name would offer much protection.

 

[kayebee]

Not to exacerbate the fears of anyone, but the issue with putting a child's name on clothing isn't so much a problem when a parent is within yelling distance, as it is when the parent is not. A parent screaming out the name "Megan!" (that's my daughter's name) doesn't give the predator any idea who Megan is, until the child actually goes to the parent, where they are safe. Like all criminals, these people are looking for the easiest opportunity and they aren't going after a kid who's ten or twenty feet away from a parent, or one who comes when called, they're going after a kid who is isolated or looks lost, etc. That's when a smiling stranger walking up and saying "Hi Megan!" may make a difference.

Having said that, I don't think this is an issue at Disney World and any one who wants to get personalized clothing should do it--it's fun. And I agree with what other posters have said--stranger abductions are rare, and we should be more concerned about the people we know than random strangers hurting our children. But I don't think the concerns with personalized clothing should be "pooh-poohed" (no offense, Pooh) as irrelevant.

Also, it's a good idea to discuss before your trip what your child should do if they get lost or separated from you, and who it is safe to get help from. When you arrive, a quick review at the park would simply be asking the child to point out for you who he/she would go to if they were lost, and so they know it isn't ok to go with that smiling stranger.

Karen

 

[mlwear]

The main "no name" item I concern myself with is the backpack. I realized this when reading an article a few years ago and preschooler had his first name on his. Now I put initials.
My sons did have their names on the backs of Mickey ears last year. I figured I would have close enough guard over them-I'd be with them the whole time. I don't know, now that I think about it if it was a good idea or not.

Now, I had one incident a couple of years ago in which I new I really messed up with my childs name and think I should mention it. DS has autism and often doesn't respond when called and sometimes will wander off. We were at IKEA and he got into one of the tunnels that were on display. DH and I were standing right there. We were watching. Somehow he got out without us seeing and wandered off. We looked casually at first but after a few minutes (seemed like half an hour), I started calling his name, then yelling his name as I looked for him. Then, it hit me...OMG, I am letting everyone in this crowded store know that there is a lost child and his name. We found him a few minutes later. He was gone in a huge Saturday crowd for probably 10 minutes, but I swear it seemed like an hour. He turned up playing with some toys just a few feet from us, but if you've been to IKEA, you know how things are displayed and not so easy to make your way around.

This week my son is getting a special watch with a GPS locater inside from the police department. It is called project lifesaver. I believe it is becoming a large program nationwide for individuals who may wander, esp. those with autism, Alzheirmers and the like.

 

[In a hurry]

My daughter loves her pin, and the attention from it. The world is actually a pretty safe place, and there are very few abductions by strangers, contrary to what the media portrays. I don't believe in fostering a spirit of fear in my children.

 

[hollyb]

Many great points I am wondering now if I want to get shirts with their names on them. What kind of shirts are you all talking about? Shrits from Lands End? I know they do it there.

 

[tiff211]

I think that if a child does not know enough not to go off with a stranger who does know her name, then she will probably just as easily go off with a stranger who says "hey sweetheart, or darling or princess!" I taught DD14 when she was younger to scream on the top of her lungs if someone tried to make her go with them....."this is not my daddy/mommy!"