What to do if kid gets separated

[Cosmic Commando]

1. One strategy I picked up somewhere is to tell your lost kids to look for "a mommy with a lot of kids". I think it's smart, because even relatively small and/or scared kids can understand when they see another family about, and there will be even more families than CMs. It's safe, because I don't think there's any chance a family is going to turn into kidnappers and human traffickers when they discover a "straggler". And who wouldn't help a lost kid?

2. You can get a passable, new, unlocked cell phone for around $50 nowadays. You could get a cheap phone, set them up on Facebook Messenger or some other program that you teach them to use, and an 8YO can probably grasp it well enough to find you again. They would love being able to carry the phone around as a camera, and the adults could use it as an emergency cell phone in case the main one breaks after the trip. It's not perfect... they could lose the phone, break it, the wi-fi in the parks isn't perfect, etc. but at least FB Messenger will keep trying to send its message until it gets a connection.

 

[Driver]

All many good ideas. When asked we tell parents
1- tell your child to go to one of the people with the name tag ( and show them a tag an a CM) it's ok to get a CM's attention for this.
2- use your phone and take a fresh pic every morning
In the panic of seperation it easy to forget a shirt color or detail a pic doesn't forget and if needed a pic can be sent out to other CM's who probably already have your child. CM's are instructed to tell the child "mommy is lost, your here with me!) many times this calms them. The network is incredible and on average the seperation is mere minutes. Which may seem like eternity but the CM's are sensitive to this.

 

[Minnie1986]

We never wrote anything down on the kids when we went, but I will say something that is good, have a picture taken in the morning. That way you have a visual for them and what they are wearing.

We've been traveling with a kid about that age (he's 9 now) and honestly they are smart cookies at that age. I think even with different costumes for CMs, the kids would know how to find someone who works there. Their costumes are totally different than regular street clothing.

Make sure they know your name and at least where you are staying. If you can have your cell phone somewhere attached you'll have more than you need. They make sure they do everything to calm the kids. Love how they do the whole "parents lost" and not the child.

You also could likely write in permanent marker your name and number in his band. That way it would be there or if it got lost itself it could easily be found.

That said in all the years we have gone with children (going on 10 years now) we've never lost one. I had my 4yo at the time bolt out of a restaurant and sat waiting for me. You'd think that would cause me to remember to bring something with our phone number but we forgot every year. Knowing names helped me relax though.

The picture thing is brilliant. Thanks. And he definitely knows my name, because he is one those kids that will say it a thousand times to jokingly try to annoy you.

 

[Minnie1986]

one thing else is to take a picture of him on your phone each morning as you head to park. this will help you know what he is wearing. I work for a small park not Disney and I remember a parent very upset when security had the child but would not take mom to him because she was sure he was wearing one color of shirt when he was wearing a completely different color. took dad to come and show mom that he had the other color of shirt with a picture he had taken that day. mom was still saying he had the color she said. took an extra 15 minutes to be reunited because she was so sure. security is exta sure they have the right parents

Will definitely do this!

 

[21stamps]

@21stamps here's my post!

Thanks!!! (Insert quote from other thread)

 

[correcaminos]

The picture thing is brilliant. Thanks. And definitely knows my name, because is one those kids that will say it a thousand times to jokingly try to annoy you.

 

[Minnie1986]

Yup! That's him!

 

[Weather_Lady]

When the kids were little, we:

(1) all wore the same color shirt every day, so it was easier to spot each other in the crowd in the first place;
(2) applied Safety Tats to both kids' arms (temporary tattoos on which you can write your cell phone number, hotel, or any other information you desire, with a Sharpie) (EDIT: I see they're already discussed above!); and
(3) instructed the kids that if they were to get separated from us, they were to approach the nearest CM (a costumed person with a nametag -- we played a "pick out the CMs" game the first day so they knew what to look for) and ask them to call the number(s) on the Safety Tats. The kids were also old enough to be able to recite their names, our names, and the name of our hotel, if asked.

Also, whenever we were heading anywhere through a crowd, we each took a child's hand. We also accompanied them into every restroom. (We have one boy and one girl, so this one-to-one ratio made it easy. YMMV depending on the number/gender of your children.) Fortunately, we never needed to rely on those things as we didn't get separated, but it was a relief to know that we had a strategy in place.

 

[Minnie1986]

Thanks, everyone! What I've decided to do is purchase one of those shoe tags that loops through the laces with both our names and my phone number. I'm also going to take a pic of him everyday before we leave the hotel, as well as instruct him to find the nearest CM (I love the point them out game idea). Hopefully, this covers all of my basis.

 

[buseegal]

When the kids were little, we:

(1) all wore the same color shirt every day, so it was easier to spot each other in the crowd in the first place;
(2) applied Safety Tats to both kids' arms (temporary tattoos on which you can write your cell phone number, hotel, or any other information you desire, with a Sharpie) (EDIT: I see they're already discussed above!); and
(3) instructed the kids that if they were to get separated from us, they were to approach the nearest CM (a costumed person with a nametag -- we played a "pick out the CMs" game the first day so they knew what to look for) and ask them to call the number(s) on the Safety Tats. The kids were also old enough to be able to recite their names, our names, and the name of our hotel, if asked.

Also, whenever we were heading anywhere through a crowd, we each took a child's hand. We also accompanied them into every restroom. (We have one boy and one girl, so this one-to-one ratio made it easy. YMMV depending on the number/gender of your children.) Fortunately, we never needed to rely on those things as we didn't get separated, but it was a relief to know that we had a strategy in place.

the same colored shirts backfired for one family at the park I work at. day they came big day camp group had the same shirts and one of the kids got off a ride and just joined that group following the shirts. took both groups a little to figure out what happened. mother was complaining at lunch why did she have to pick that color as no one in her group liked that color and this big group must have got the same deal on them as she did

 

[Kcnolan21]

I like the Safety tattoo, but I am always a last minute person and always forget to order them in time. My son has special needs, our go to is writing his name and our Phone number on his arm in pen and then use liquid bandaide to cover it. Works well and doesn't come off in the water or sweat!

 

[kimberlymautz]

I had my daughter wear a lanyard which had a picture of our group on the back with our basic contact information. She knows her my cell number, and her dad's too, so we weren't too worried, but put it on there just incase. She also got the speech of looking for cast members, I believe we aimed mostly at photo pass cast members as they are all wearing the same (or similar) uniforms where other cast members change uniforms constantly depending on the rides or stores they're in or near.

 

[carriebeth]

We have told our children to go into the nearest shop or restaurant, to the nearest food cart up to the nearest ride or attraction and inform the cast members there that they are lost. One of ours actually did get seperated last year. He did just that, went to a food cart and the cast members have a procedure they follow.

 

[John C. Shepherd]

Lucky for me my oldest 2 have phones and i have location turned on so i can find them, but they are also instructed to find a CM tell them what happen and call us on the phone.
My youngest is to young for a phone, we instruct her to find a cast member. She knows to give her name and parents name. She also has my cell phone memorized, i quiz her on it constantly.
No matter what it is scary.

 

[md0u80a2]

Hopsital tags - get a friend in healthcare to get a couple from the printer and write on them with permanent marker - never comes off and perfect to put your phone number on