Road Trip Safety With Kids

If you are a little crazy like me, you constantly have the worst case scenario in your head at all times. Just yesterday I thought to myself, I need to go check on Anson, he may have climbed the stool again and turned on the water and then got interested in a knife and then stabbed himself and now he’s gushing from a belly wound on the floor in the kitchen, Oh God, why am I still sitting here, how fast can I run to the kitchen? He was sitting on his bed playing with a ball. In all reality, I think all moms have a little bit of that in them. On the road, I feel like a basket case most days because I am surrounded by people and places we are not used to and there are four kids to keep track of at all times. Obviously there are ways to combat this fear. Let me lay out some ideas for you. You may know some of these already, but wait until you read our special family trick that helps me sleep at night.

1. Wear the same color. You know those families that you see at Disney Land, or other amusement parks who all dress the same? It definitely isn’t to be cutesie. It’s for safety. We went to Sea World a few years back and we all wore bright blue. It was perfect because I had to park the stroller and then find where David and the kids found a place to sit. I spotted the bright blue with no problem. I thought about having us all wear neon pink or neon yellow, but it is such a popular color that you would have to search a little while. Also, if you do lose your kid, you KNOW what they are wearing. Most people don’t have a problem with this, but let’s say dad dressed Timmy and you didn’t lay the clothes out that day. You may not recollect that outfit. Now what?! Same color=better chances of finding your lost kid.
2. Arm Bands. There are some really great companies that will put all of the important information on a bracelet for you and in kid sizes. Info like, parent name, kid’s name, phone number, and allergies. For the love of God, get your child a bracelet for traveling. At the State Fair of Texas, when you walk in, they have boxes and boxes of those disposable bracelets that you can write info on just in case you lose your kid. There is a reason, folks. It happens even to watchful parents.
3. When you go someplace new with your kids, set up a rally point. Say you are in a state park, or an amusement park—pick a point and say, "if you get lost, come here." If they are little, you show them what type of people to look for, ie uniforms or badges. We have used this before and our oldest one was shaken up a little, but she did just what she was told.
4. If you have kids old enough to have or take a phone, we have loaded an app called Life360. There are some in app purchases you can make, but we use it solely for the purpose of finding lost phones and lost people. We know exactly where everyone is within 1000 feet.
5. Because I am a worst case scenario type of person, I always think about what to do if my kids get taken. So to go along with the phone thing, I always tell my oldest that if they get abducted, to shove the phone down their pants. This way it is less visible in a back pocket and I can track her movements. I know, that sounds real Hollywood like, but for real, I want a chance at finding my kid and if it means hiding the phone, do it.
6. Okay, this is my best advice to you. If your kids get separated from you and a crazy person gets to them before you and tells them that your parents asked them to come with them, EVEN IF THEY ARE DRESSED LIKE THEY ARE IMPORTANT (cops, police, doctor. etc. These costumes are a dime a dozen) they HAVE to know the password. If you come up to my kid and say, "Your parents are waiting for you, I’ll take you to them," you better know the password 'cause they are going to drop what they have and run. You need to come up with some word that only your family knows and never change it unless it has been compromised. Remind your kids often on the protocol because as kids in a scary situation, it is easy to forget, but if you practice and remind them, chances are, they will be good in that situation.

I am no safety expert, but I can tell you that I have four kids and them being safe literally has kept me up at night, so I feel confident that these little road tips can help you feel better about traveling safely with your kids.