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Support > Positive Parenting
Keep Your Kids Safe This Vacation
There's nothing like a fun and relaxing getaway. However, just as we would pack our
bags and make travel arrangements, we also need to make sure our children are safe when
on vacation. Recent high-profile abductions have raised some family's anxiety about
their children's safety at home and elsewhere. The good news is, with some preparation
and planning, parents can greatly minimize the possibility of their child being lost or
abducted. Taking some of these precautions before your next vacation should help protect
your child's well being.
Sit Down and Talk
- Teach your child to call 911 in the case of an emergency. It is still the fastest and
most reliable way to get your child help.
- Although cell phones or long-range walkie-talkies are a must have for getting in
touch quickly with your child, be aware that they do not always work in all areas
and therefore are not as dependable as calling 911 when you need help.
- Talk to your children about what to do should they get lost. A good idea is to
teach them to go to someone in uniform should they need help.
- While staying in a hotel or in the house of a friend or family, make sure your kids
know not to open the door for someone they don't know. Having them practice
looking through the peephole and dead bolting the door is also a good idea.
- Teach your children never to give out their personal information, such as where
they are staying or their phone number.
- Remain calm (both parents and children) if a separation occurs. Contact the
proper personnel and implement your discussed vacation separation strategy.
Pack Your Bags
- Prepare a card with your child's name, both parents' names, where you are
staying and a phone number where you can be contacted. Place this card in a
waterproof pouch and keep it on your child at all times. If your child cannot carry
this card, one thing to consider is slipping this small card into your child's shoe.
This way, no pockets, no bag, no problem. The card is always on your child.
- Have a current photo of your child, taken within the last month, with the child's
height and weight written on the back.
- Pack bright, easily visible clothing for your children to wear. They will be easy to spot from far away.
- Make sure to carry all necessary items (important medication, cell-phones, first
aid kits) in your carry-on bag, not the bags you check. These are things you do not
want to lose.
- Do not have your child's name written on any of their visible clothing or
belongings that they might carry. Abductors can use this information to gain the
child's trust.
Location, Location, Location
- For older children, get a map of the area you will be traveling to and pick out an
emergency meeting spot, should you and your child get separated.
- For younger children, teach them to stay where they are should they become lost.
This way, you are finding them, not the other way around.
- In case of fire, know of all of the emergency exits and how to get to them quickly.
- Teen children may resist such careful preparation, but it's greatly necessary.
Children most at-risk of abduction by non-family members are our adolescents.
Taking some of these precautions should guarantee that your next vacation will be fun
and worry-free. A little advanced planning will go a long way in preventing a disaster.
For other tips to help you respond to the challenges of raising children including
"Teaching Safety Skills - Stranger Danger is Not Enough" and "Child Safety on the
Internet," go to our Positive Parenting page.
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