There’s just no way to describe the instant, overwhelming panic a parent experiences when you realize you’ve lost sight of your child.
The Boston-based Center to Prevent Lost Children says that 90 percent of families will momentarily lose track of a child in a public place. With those kinds of odds, it pays to plan ahead.
In case you missed it earlier this week, there was an excellent story by Joe Burris in the Baltimore Sun about high- and low-tech strategies parents can use these days to keep closer tabs on their kids.
From the SafetyTats we profiled earlier this month to hand-held GPS devices to watches that will emit a 110-decibel alarm when activated, it’s amazing what’s available
Of course, nothing will ever replace actually watching your child and holding his or her hand, but in crowded places like stores or amusement parks, parents can often use all the help they can get.
Have you ever temporarily lost sight of your child? What strategies to like best for keeping them safe?
Much as the parent in the story described, I once watched in horror as my toddler got into the elevator in her day-care’s building, and the doors closed before I could stop her. And luckily, as in his case, the doors opened again and she came out. I was completely horrified, though!
Kate, that is a nightmare! I once spent 45 terrifying minutes at a Chick-fi-la looking for my friend’s 5-year-old daughter who just vanished as we were cleaning off our table. The police came, we searched everywhere and there was no trace of her. Turns out she was hiding to surprise us on the way out and when all the commotion began, she got scared and was afraid to come out. The police said that’s actually common with little kids.