Have you ever lost your child in a public place? If so, do not be ashamed. Do not think you are a bad parent. It happens to almost every parent at some point in their child’s life. Whether it’s at the library, grocery store, or even at one of the Disney Parks, it happens often even if you are a “helicopter parent” and feel like you have made every precaution possible. When it happens, it occurs literally in a split second with a blink of an eye – especially in a large crowd.

 

When my daughter had just turned 3, we went to Disneyland as a family when my son was a newborn. We were waiting for the Christmas parade to begin and were in a semi crowded area off to the side by It’s a Small World. My husband was with my daughter waiting in the front row of people and I had stepped away behind them to sit down and nurse my son. As soon as I sat down I saw my husband and daughter standing in front of me, looked down for a few seconds under my nursing cover to help my son latch, and by the time I looked back up my daughter was no where in sight. My husband didn’t notice as he was still standing in the same spot watching the parade route and waiting for the parade to start.

 

I quickly grew panicked. More and more people were gathering on the parade route and it was busy in the parks that day as it was Christmas time. I yelled out to my husband and told him I couldn’t find our daughter. He somehow thought she was with me and I was under the impression she was with him. It had probably only been 1-2 minutes at this point, but it felt like it had been forever. She was so young and little and we hadn’t prepared or prepped for a moment like this, because like many parents, we didn’t think it was going to happen to us. Even today, 90% of the time our kids sit in a stroller at Disneyland, so it’s rare we would have to worry about one of them walking away.

 

As I was yelling my daughter’s name, my husband didn’t hesitate and quickly walked to go find her, as she was no where in eye sight or ear shot. Luckily a woman near me saw her and said she walked to the left, so that’s the direction my husband went. Why this woman didn’t say something earlier baffles me, but maybe she didn’t realize she was lost when she first saw her walk away. Nonetheless, my husband was gone for about 2-3 minutes while I sat praying, helpless, and waiting, ready to look for a cast member to help. It honestly felt like forever, but my husband found her around the corner, not too far away with another family. Apparently she found a mom with a little child and told her she was lost and asked if she could help her find her mom and dad. I was proud of her for doing that all on her own, I thought she was smart for finding a mom that looked kind and trustworthy for help. And luckily my daughter was calm and had the language to talk to and ask this other mom for help.

 

After thanking my lucky stars, I swore to myself I would never let this happen again. It was traumatic and if you have had a similar experience, you can surely relate. I learned the hard way a lot about that day and now I would love to help other parents not be in the same spot as I was many years ago.

 

With an average estimated daily attendance of 50,000 people at Disneyland, I’m sure it happens more often than you think. If the park is at maximum capacity, it is assumed it can be up to 70,000-85,000 people and another 10,000 cast members. That’s A LOT of people. But there are safety precautions you can take to keep your children as safe as possible. It all starts with some preparation and education.

 

And even though the parks are temporarily closed, this is the best time to educate your children while they are in a safe, calm state to prepare for when the parks open and for you take your next trip! Reviewing these tips now will enable them to remember them when they are in an anxious and adrenaline state. This will also give you ample time to role play scenarios, plan in advance, and even buy necessary items you might need to help keep your children as safe as possible – especially if they do not own a cell phone yet or are non verbal.

 

 

Here are my Top 5 Tips!

 

1.Have your child wear a bright shirt and or hat so they stand out in a crowd. Take a picture of your child as you enter the park so you can remember exactly what they are wearing and can show a cast member if needed. And at night you can buy glow necklaces and bracelets for them to wear.

 

2. Teach them an exact spot inside the park to go to if they are separated from you. Tell them the spot verbally by name, show them the exact spot on a map, and then again in person – practice before and each time you go to the parks. Try to pick a spot that isn’t very crowded and pick the same spot every time. Pick one spot for each park. Avoid anywhere near the castle, along a parade route or near a ride line.

 

3. Introduce your child to any Disney cast member when you arrive at the park. Show your child the cast member’s unique nametag badge so if your child gets lost, tell them to look for someone wearing this badge to help them. I recommend telling them to go to the nearest store or restaurant/food cart and find a cast member in a store.

 

 

 

4. You can also get a Tile Bluetooth Tracking Device that pairs with a Tracker App so you can easily locate them if they are lost. You can have your child wear the Tile on their clothing where it won’t come off, and then by using the app on your phone, you can quickly and easily locate them. In turn, if your child is lost, they can press the button on their Tile and it will notify your phone with a ring and you can see their exact location. The Tile has a 200 ft range. We bought and used these when we went to Walt Disney World a few months ago!

 

 

 

 

5. Have your child wear a Temp Tattoo with their favorite Disney character on it and their parent’s phone number. These temporary tattoos are a genius idea and children don’t mind wearing them since their favorite character is on them too! This small shop was created by a mom who’s son is autistic, non verbal, and struggles with sensory issues, and of course, and like most children is a curious and fearless explorer. He tends to wander off if she blinks for half a second, and was desperate for a solution to let others know who her son was and how to help him if he got lost. So she decided to make him his own temporary tattoos, and after their first family outing with the tattoos, she decided to offer them to fellow parents as well!

 

 

As a mom who has two small children and works with many non-verbal Autistic children for a living (and many others that are selectivity mute and or delayed in speech and language), these temporary tattoos are a necessity when traveling to the parks and or to any other theme park, zoo, or crowded area of your choice. I know it may seem hard to imagine yourself there right now since we are all social distancing and every park in the world is currently closed, but they will reopen in no time and I suggest ordering your temporary tattoos now so you have them in time for when the parks reopen!

 

 

Plus, the shop owner is extremely kind and her professionalism and general customer service could not be better. She is prompt and responds quickly to inquiries. Shipping was quick. My order was accurate. The tattoos are easy to put on and take off. And she has a high quality product. My daughter wore hers all day and it stayed on and didn’t irritate her skin!

 

 

You can choose from dozens of different characters and even ones that aren’t Disney like Paw Patrol, Trolls, and more! And I love that she sells medical alert temporary tattoos as well! An 8 pack is less than $9 and there are many other packages you can choose from 12-60 custom tattoos! For each pack, you can choose your own customization:

 

 

Up to 3 information lines available
(Maximum of 15 characters per line, spaces included)

Character Choice (Up to 4):

Line 1:
Line 2:
Line 3: 

 

 

You can also find her on Facebook here! 

 

And make sure to use code THEPARENTOLOGIST for 20% off your next order!! 

 

 

 

I also want to share that Disney Parks has an official Lost Child Protocol. Please read below for the information.

 

Disneyland Lost Child Protocol

If a Disney Cast Member encounters a lost child under the age of 11 years old, then they are escorted to the Baby Care Center (Disneyland) off the Central Hub at the end of Main Street or the Baby Care Center (Disney California Adventure) in the Pacific Wharf area of the park.

If you have lost contact with your child that is 12 years or older then they can either wait for you at Disneyland’s City Hall or leave a message for you there.

The first place to check is ALWAYS City Hall if you are inside Disneyland or at the Chamber of Commerce if you are at Disney California Adventure. At these locations, all information regarding current lost children can be accessed.

 

If a Disney Cast Member encounters a lost child under the age of 11 years old, then they are escorted to the Baby Care Center. There is one Baby Care Center in each Walt Disney World park.

 

This post is sponsored by Temp Tattoos but all opinions are my own.