You’re out with your kids, having a good time — everything’s under control, you think. The last thing you’d expect is for them to wander off. But somehow, these little adventurers manage to slip away in a split second. For some inspiration to prevent losing your child in public, let this pair of genius Singaporean parents show you how they do it effortlessly.
Prevent Losing Your Child in Public: Watch How These Brilliant Parents Do It
A Facebook post from Singaporean dad Singapore Syaf Ayu, surfaced on 7 September.
It shared an interesting parenting tip for parents with wandering young tots: tie a balloon to your child’s hairband so that you can prevent losing your child in public.
Apparently, they tried it on their daughter, Marissa, and it works pretty well!
A balloon attached to Marissa’s hairband as she roams around the retail shop | Picture: screengrab from Facebook/Syaf Ayu
The cheeky one-year-old looked like she was having loads of fun!
Even when Marissa was out of sight, the pink balloon continued to stick out like a sore thumb, making it really easy for her parents to know that she was still around. Her parents were amused and even commented on the balloon as “good as a marker in the crowd”.
The balloon definitely served its purpose and was “one way to prevent them from getting lost in the crowd”, said Marissa’s parents.
How brilliant.
The original post by Syaf Ayu is as below:
The Real Struggle When Taking the Kids Out
The kids have way too much energy for us, and monitoring their every movement seems impossible. We can just be talking to someone for a minute or less and the little ones scoot off to god-knows-where. When we finally realise that they are nowhere in sight… oh the horror!
Well, we can scream for them and be in a constant state of anxiety, but what if there are better ways to deal with the situation?
In the case of the ingenious balloon trick, while it’s very clever, it might not be too safe, especially if the little one gets entangled somewhere. Also, if you have a child with very short hair, then there’s no place to tie the balloon.
So, let’s look at some other tips to help keep your little ones safe.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure: Tips for Parents
The “Don’t talk to strangers” message is simply not enough.
An experiment was conducted to see if children were willing to follow a stranger to “see some more puppies” and the results showed that a shocking seven out of 10 kids were willing to do so, according to Kidguard.
As parents, we want our kids to be safe at every point in time.
We want to talk about actual ways that we can follow to help ease the panic. Plus, it’ll be long-lasting and effective.
Here are some tips:
- Take a picture of your kid before leaving the house. If anything happens, it’d be easier to describe them, especially when you’re caught in a state of frenzy.
- Teach them to memorise your home address, phone number, their full names and your name etc. Or at least, have the information somewhere on them.
- Put an ID band or bracelet on them. (You can slip in a piece of paper with your contact information.)
- Practice with them on how to describe you.
- Use quick stick safety tattoos where you can write their names on.
- Let your child know that when they find themselves lost, they should just stay where they are (preferably somewhere not overly crowded or vacant).
- Never turn your backs on them (literally!). They can be gone in an instant.
- Set up a plan in case they go missing and practise the “plan” that both of you agree on in the event your child gets lost.
- Don’t ask strangers to keep an eye on your child for you.
- Teach them who they can go to to ask for help, e.g. police officers/store clerks with nametags etc. And instruct them on what to say.
- Teach them to pay attention to their surroundings.
- Show them where the customer service or information counter is in a mall. Tell them to never leave the doors of the mall.
What’s the most real struggle you face with your kids in public, mums and dads?
Will you consider tying a balloon to prevent losing your child in public? Are such ways practical? Let us know in the comments below!
Also READ: Missing two-year-old in forest found safe and uninjured