Teach your kids your phone # AND area code!

[bas71873]

I'm taking my own advice on this (although DD wears a bracelet with my # on it when we travel), but please teach your kids not only your cell phone number but also the area code. We came across a little girl on one of the jungle trails at AK last Saturday.....she was crying, probably 5 or 6years old and she had lost her mommy. She could tell me her mommy's phone number, but not the area code. Mom back tracked and found her, but I certainly learned a valuable lesson myself with that one!

 

[duffy]

Aww, poor lil thing.

Not to mention the little girl.

 

[Krisscot]

We just got back from wdw and I had my kids wear those id tags you cam make
At walmart (technically for dog tags). But you can get them with a necklace and I put there name and both my cell phone and my husbands. The ones at walmart you can even get in toy story. Several times I caught my 5 year looking around because she lost sight of us and she was holding her necklace out. As soon as she caught up with us she would always say mom it's ok I had my necklace hahahah

 

[Rekenna]

Aw, poor litlle girl, and one scared momma too I bet!

For DS2 I invested in the safety tattoos (he has autism and is non-verbal). The tattoos say "I have non-verbal autism" and then my cell phone-with the area code.

I am really into backpack leashes, especially for DS2, he isn't going anywhere!

Good advice on the area code-thanks!

 

[ratlenhum]

You could get Shoe ID and tell them if they get lost to hand a Mommy or a CM their shoe. This way you can have several phone numbers (mom and dad cell) and allergy info in case someone decides to give the crying child a treat to calm them.

http://www.mypreciouskid.com/shoe-safety-sticker-products.html

 

[ILuvMulan]

My kids are older (I have two 11 year olds and a 13 year old) but I always type out an information sheet with their name, my name and cell phone number, my husband's name and cell phone number, any allergies and medications then laminate it with clear contact paper. They each carry a backpack and I put the information sheet in the front pocket. This serves two purposes- one, if they leave their backpack hopefully someone will return it and two, if they were to be somewhere away from us and get hurt they would have emergency information.

 

[skiingfast]

Before mine knew their phone number, they knew where they are from. It would only take a CM internet access and 20 seconds to figure out an area code. That and the sense to put one and two together.

 

[bas71873]

Before mine knew their phone number, they knew where they are from. It would only take a CM internet access and 20 seconds to figure out an area code. That and the sense to put one and two together.

I agree and DD definately knows this. And so did this little girl and I was about to start googling when mom showed up

 

[Lori1960]

The children should also know the parwnts first name cause most young kids dont they jut know there Mom and Dad as Mom and dad.Also if I child is lost dont ask the child if they are lost ask if your Mom and Dad are lost

 

[Hibernians]

honestly, do you expect a 5 year old to memorize a 10 digit phone number ?

I'm taking my own advice on this (although DD wears a bracelet with my # on it when we travel), but please teach your kids not only your cell phone number but also the area code. We came across a little girl on one of the jungle trails at AK last Saturday.....she was crying, probably 5 or 6years old and she had lost her mommy. She could tell me her mommy's phone number, but not the area code. Mom back tracked and found her, but I certainly learned a valuable lesson myself with that one!

 

[sissy_ib]

honestly, do you expect a 5 year old to memorize a 10 digit phone number ?

If they can remember 7 why not 10? What is the point of teaching a child a phone number with out the area code?

 

[bas71873]

If they can remember 7 why not 10? What is the point of teaching a child a phone number with out the area code?

 

[bz8bls]

honestly, do you expect a 5 year old to memorize a 10 digit phone number ?

My twin DGDs not only know my 10 digit cell, they also know the home 10 digit cell.. You be surprised what you can teach children...it's rote learning like learning the alphabets or sight words. You just keep drilling them.

 

[laura428]

You could get Shoe ID and tell them if they get lost to hand a Mommy or a CM their shoe. This way you can have several phone numbers (mom and dad cell) and allergy info in case someone decides to give the crying child a treat to calm them.

http://www.mypreciouskid.com/shoe-safety-sticker-products.html

What a fabulous resource. Just ordered the Shoe ID stickers and a Velcro safety bracelet for each of my kids. Thanks so much for the tip!

 

[Hibernians]

Of course you should teach them the complete phone number (I have no idea why anyone would not include the area code); my original question was do you expect a 5 year old to remember a 10 digit number ?

Speaking from experience, when my kids were age 5 I did not expect them to be able to recall our phone number(s) and therefore I had them all wear the Kids ID tags in their shoes.

If they can remember 7 why not 10? What is the point of teaching a child a phone number with out the area code?

 

[Simba726]

Of course you should teach them the complete phone number (I have no idea why anyone would not include the area code); my original question was do you expect a 5 year old to remember a 10 digit number ?

Speaking from experience, when my kids were age 5 I did not expect them to be able to recall our phone number(s) and therefore I had them all wear the Kids ID tags in their shoes.

Yes they can and they should. My DD5 knows our home telephone number, complete with area code. She has even taught it to our DS3. She knows her address and she is learning my cell phone and my DH's as well. Not that I would not have them have additional ID incase they get scared and wont talk to any strangers.