If your family intends to visit an area with mammoth crowds over the weekend or wishes to participate in an event such as a festival or concert, then it’s good to have a plan in case you and your kids get separated. The joys of summer can soon become nightmares in a split second when kids cannot locate their parents or parents cannot locate their kids. Sometimes technology can pick the most inopportune time to fail you and if that happens when you are separated, fail-safe measures set in place should help.
Here are six tips for when you and your children get separated, according to Parenting.com:
Write Your Number on Your Child’s Wrist
This might sound a little hazardous if you are unsure about which chemicals you are introducing to your child’s body. Check for natural dyed pens or ink that you can use to write your phone number and then use liquid band aid to apply over it to make it permanent. This is recommended for young kids who are not likely to memorize their parents numbers.
Take a Photo of Your Kid(s) that Morning
Parents have lots of photos of their kids on their phones but it’s advisable to take a photo of them that morning if you intend on going to a crowded place to help them be easily identified.
Help Kids Memorize Your Phone Number(s)
In the event of any emergency, it’s a good rule of thumb to have kids memorize your phone number and those of close relatives. Even, the ayi’s number would be good to have them memorize in case the ayi is closer to where they are than you.
Show Your Kids People of Interest
At the destination, it’s suggested that you should point out people who work there such as managers, security guards, and more to help them ask for help in the event of getting separated. In China, show them how to clearly distinguish policemen from security guards as they are sometimes confusing.
Pick a Meeting Place
Scope the area and find a landmark that the kids can remember, and tell them to head there if they are unable to find you within a specified amount of time after getting separated. If it’s a familiar area, pick your favorite store or restaurant that they know how to get to easily.
Keep Tickets
If the place you are going to is a concert or a football game then give a ticket stub to your kids and remind them to keep it in their pockets in case they need to show the grounds staff where the seats are again.
Additional advice:
Learn Local Language Phrases
If you are going to a place in China or places where English isn’t the first language, then it comes in handy to teach kids some local lingo that can get them the help they need.
In China learn phrase such as:
Help! (in emergencies) 救命!(Jiùmìng!)
I need your help. 我需要你的帮助。 (wǒ xūyào nǐde bāngzhù.)
I’m lost. 我迷路了。 (wǒ mílù le).
Can I use your phone? 我可以用您的电话吗?(wǒ kěyǐ yòng nín de diànhuà ne?)
Can I use your cell phone? 我可以用您的手机吗?(wǒ kěyǐ yòng nín de shǒujī ma?)