Tips for keeping track of children in the parks?

[AnneUCSB]

Hello there! DH and I (along with my parents) are taking our 3 kids to DLR for the first time (we leave in 12 more days ). Our boys are 5 1/2 years old, almost 4 years old, and 5 months old. While we don't PLAN on letting them out of our sight, there is always the potential that one can get lost or unknowingly wander off. We are planning to put a little tag with our names and cell phone numbers around their belt loop or shoe lace in the event that they got lost and certainly will talk to them about what to do (find a cast member and tell them they need help).

Any tips for the best ways to keep track of them or help coach them on what to do if we were separated? Hopefully nothing will happen, but I want to prepare them just in case. We will, by the way, have the baby in a stroller (we're not worried about him wandering off!), and we will have another stroller (double) that the older boys may ride in whenever they need to.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

I'ld "assign" a parent to a kid. That way you won't get the "I thought he was with you". And switch it up, that way every adult gets a break from kid watching. We have a monkey harness for our little monkey, found at Target. Also a desginated spot to meet, like the big christmas tree or the board with the wait times posted. I would do the tag on the shoe lace unless you know your kids won't/can't remove them. Take a deep breath, eveything will be fine.

 

[DahliaRW]

I would drill into your older two what to do if they get lost. To find a CM and tell them that they lost their parent and then show them where your cell number is. We used these for "labeling" our children when we last went: http://www.safetytat.com/

As for trying to prevent seperation, I would have them hold onto the stroller if they are walking (or a hand, no exceptions). And of course teach them about staying close and why it is important. Practice at home before you go.

 

[LavenderPeach]

I'm pretty sure I've heard that CMs aren't allowed to call cell phone numbers to contact parents of missing kids - at least that's what I thought one of our disboard CMs said one time. I believe they are instructed to take them over to the "lost parents" area. Not that it's a bad idea to have your cell phone number on their tags but just thought you should know that if something happens, you might not get a call on your phone.

Also, maybe have your kids wear bright colored shirts? That might help you spot them more easily.

 

[Karenann*]

When I took my 4yr and 6 yr olds several years ago, each day they wore bright orange, green, yellow and red tees. They were really easy to have a visual o them!

At guest services, they got round stickers to wear(one for each day) that had my name and cell on it. I also spent time when we got to DL playing the game "who's safe if you get lost". Every employee wears a cast member nametag. My kids learned to look for those nametags and where to find CM's who could help if they did get lost. If they had a CM nametag, they were safe and could help!

 

[skiingfast]

Every employee wears a cast member nametag. My kids learned to look for those nametags and where to find CM's who could help if they did get lost. If they had a CM nametag, they were safe and could help!

The most simple and effective thing to do.

 

[ardenandjacksmom]

I practice with my kids a couple of weeks before we go, having them rehearse what to do (Find a female CM, tell her "my name is XXXX and I'm lost" show her the dog tag). We watch the free trip planning DVD and I have the kids play 'find the cast member'--CM costumes vary depending on the land/attraction, but the name tags are universal. Especially with young kids, I think the more we practice this, the less likely they are to get so overwhelmed and upset if they were lost. I also show them where the lost kid station is, both on the map and at the park when we get there.

The first time we went I bought a lost kid alarm (got mine at Wal-Mart) they are necklaces with sensors on them and parent and child each wear one. When you start getting too far apart from each other, the necklaces start beeping to warn you. It's a very annoying tone, but it definitely teaches the kids to stay next to their parent

We do 'dog' tags on the kids' shoes too--ours say, "If I'm lost, please call my mom @ ---.---.----". I also buy the hospital-style bracelets (they make some that are specifically for lost kid info) that you can write on and put my cell number there, they're good for pools/water parks because they're waterproof and the kids may not have shoes on. I know there are little temporary tattoos you can order with contact info as well (works nicely for kids that refuse to wear ID bracelets/tags). (I like redundancy--I usually tag the kids at least two ways, in case the person who finds the kids doesn't see one of the tags, or the kid takes off/loses one of the IDs, etc.)

Now that my daughter's older, she has a cell phone (for emergencies only) and I have the AT&T Family Map feature. So when we're at theme parks I have her wear her cell in a waist pack. If you have AT&T family plan for cell service, you might think about getting some really cheap phones that you could activate just for the trip and subscribe to Family Map.

Lastly, I don't know if this applies at DLR, but there are restrooms at WDW that have two exits. So A, who gets done first may be standing and waiting by one exit for B, who then might accidentally go out the second exit thinking that A is waiting just outside the door, and voila, someone's lost. Hope that makes sense??

I know I probably sound like a severe worry wart (guilty!) but I look at this aspect of planning as a way of thwarting 'Murphy's law'--just like carrying an umbrella means that it probably won't rain, whereas if you leave it at home you're sure to be rained on, LOL!

Hope you have an awesome time

 

[goldies 5]

I like to put jingle bells on them.

 

[kylieh]

We've also instructed our DD8, no matter where we are, to call out our first names rather than Mum or Dad. For example, Kylie is a common name in Australia for people my age, but there are far less Kylie's than Mums!!! Likewise with DH.

We also know who has DD's hand and will make a note of saying, "will you take DD now... "

And when we are going places with a lot of people DD is reminded of holding on to someone's hand.

 

[Ariel224]

We have gone camping with our kids since they were babies. The one thing we've always taught them if they become separated from us in the woods is to "hug a tree", which means that they are to STAY PUT. That way we can trace our own steps back and have a better chance of finding them, as they won't be wandering aimlessly trying to find us and becoming more lost.

At DLR, this same rule of remaining in place applies, with the addition that they can ask a mom with kids passing by to get a CM to help, and they can ONLY go with a CM to be taken to the lost child area.

They each have a lanyard with their names and ages, and the cell numbers of each parent and grandparent with us. We also do the buddy system of each kid being assigned to one adult.

Our biggest challenge is our 7yo DS. He has this NEED to be the leader of the pack. He is always trying to get ahead of us, and it gets so frustrating spending an entire trip feeling like I've done nothing but call him back to us. When it's not crowded, it's okay because I can easily see him, but when it's crowded I worry greatly about people getting in between us and losing sight of him. The only thing I haven't tried is to tie his ankle to my own in the style of a 3 legged race...........hmmmmm

 

[HydroGuy]

When I took my 4yr and 6 yr olds several years ago, each day they wore bright orange, green, yellow and red tees. They were really easy to have a visual o them!

Exactly what we did with our four when they were little guys.

See this photo from 2005.

 

[Miss Peach]

Hi!

The best advice I would give you is to tell the child that as soon as he/she notices mom/dad is not with them STAY PUT!!

A few weeks ago I was in the Park with a lot of family members. My SIL and I were chit chatting standing outside of Mr Toad's. An adorable little girl--3 years old, or so--came over a stood VERY close to us. We looked around, and saw no parent.

She slipped her hand into SIL's hand!!! He is a dad of five (another on the way) and a very experienced parent. But knowing that this would not look good we transferred her little hand into mine and she-without any hesitation-walked with me over to a janitorial CM a few paces away. My heart was pounding the entire way!!

I explained to the CM what I had, and explained to this little angel that the CM would find mommy and daddy.

About a half an hour later I saw that same CM again. She said that 4 or 5 minutes after I had walked away a sweating/crying daddy had run over and was reunited with his little daughter.

Happy Ending!

But really that little girl would have gone anywhere with my SIL or I!!

All our little ones got a talk that day about STAYING PUT!!! and CMs are the ONLY people to go with to Lost Children.

ETA: When my kids were little I always dressed them alike so that in my panic (upon discovering them missing) I could look at the remaining sibling and know what the lost one was wearing. Never needed it, PTL!

Cathy

 

[kylieh]

I forgot to say, we always take a picture of DD first thing in the morning. Just a straight up and down picture. That way if we need to describe what she is wearing etc it is very easy.

 

[ShellyMouse]

great ideas here!

i found a tip over on the wdw board that is good too....take a picture of child/children each morning before entering park. that way IF they do get lost you can show it to cms. i know my dd sometimes puts on several different outfits before she finally decides....i could see myself standing there freaking out, and trying to remember what color shirt she FINALLY decided on...

my dd did get lost at epcot when she was 6! my dh was on mission space, and we didnt want to go on, so we were at a store...we were in line to pay, and i turned, and she was gone! omg! panic attack! i was freaking out! cms were trying to calm me down...a nice mom (dd knew to find a mom with kids) gave her to a cm, and they found me....i swear that 5 minutes took 5 years off my life! come to find out, she changed her mind (see a pattern here?) on what stuffed animal she wanted, so ran over to change it out. and we must have been going in circles trying to find each other....

 

[Ariel224]

Hi!

The best advice I would give you is to tell the child that as soon as he/she notices mom/dad is not with them STAY PUT!!

A few weeks ago I was in the Park with a lot of family members. My SIL and I were chit chatting standing outside of Mr Toad's. An adorable little girl--3 years old, or so--came over a stood VERY close to us. We looked around, and saw no parent.

She slipped her hand into SIL's hand!!! He is a dad of five (another on the way) and a very experienced parent. But knowing that this would not look good we transferred her little hand into mine and she-without any hesitation-walked with me over to a janitorial CM a few paces away. My heart was pounding the entire way!!

I explained to the CM what I had, and explained to this little angel that the CM would find mommy and daddy.

About a half an hour later I saw that same CM again. She said that 4 or 5 minutes after I had walked away a sweating/crying daddy had run over and was reunited with his little daughter.

Happy Ending!

But really that little girl would have gone anywhere with my SIL or I!!

All our little ones got a talk that day about STAYING PUT!!! and CMs are the ONLY people to go with to Lost Children.

ETA: When my kids were little I always dressed them alike so that in my panic (upon discovering them missing) I could look at the remaining sibling and know what the lost one was wearing. Never needed it, PTL!

Cathy

I kept reading "SIL" in your post as "sister-in-law." It made absolutely no sense until I realized you meant son-in-law.

 

[stormys]

On our last trip to WDW (October 2009), my DW and me, made this ID TAG for our 3 yo DS. Now my DS is a year older and our next trip to DLR we will once again.

If you want the High resolution PDF file, let me know

 

[knik]

I'll be honest... We were just there with DS5 and DD2. DS got "the talk" every day before we left for the park. DD wore a leash. Before having children the though of putting a leash on a child disgusted me!! Now that I am a parent, different story, lol. We bought a cute backpack style one that DD has really taken a shine to.... She named the stuff animal backpack "Leash the puppy" and now loves wearing it.

 

[goldies 5]

There is nothing wrong with leasing your child. I made the mistake of not leasing my very active 21 month old (ADHD child) at the time, and he managed to sneak off from me and my husband when I was nursing a newborn. It was scary and happened quickly. It took a LONG 5 min. to find him. We never felt so helpless. Needless to say, we do just about everything mentioned here now.

 

[PHXscuba]

I know this is way older than OP's kids, but I'll share a moment with a teen -- something that was theoretical but that totally startled me.

DS13 was in the room when I was having the "if you're lost" conversation with the younger kids. We told them everything PPers have said. DS13 piped up, "but if I'm lost, I should just go back to the hotel and wait for you there, right?" We were at the DLH, but it would still have involved leaving the park and a long walk through DTD to a room he didn't have a key to!! (and no cell then) I told him to never, ever, leave the park without us and that all the same rules applied to him (or me, for that matter).

It was a wake-up call to me: they don't age out of being lost. While he might not have gotten snatched like a younger child, his "plan" would have involved a lot more worry and taken much longer for us to find him!

PHXscuba

 

[jenpace]

Gavin De Becker (an amazing safety expert) advises to have your kids find "a mommy" if they get lost because a huge majority of pedophiles are men rather than women. I've seen "CM name tags" for sale that anyone can personalize with their own name. Just because someone has a DL CM name tag doesn't mean that they really are a CM. It's just a thought...any savvy predator can get one of those official looking pins.

I always tell my kids to find a "mommy" for that very reason.