Safety for Children on Vacation

As you prepare for your family’s holiday vacation in the merry madness of it all, don’t forget to take a few extra steps to insure your children’s safety.  Lucky Little Travelers (http://www.luckylittletraveles.com/ ), a new website dedicated to family travels, recommends a few pre-cautionary safety measures:

1. Teach your children their full name and phone number (including area code), you would be surprised how many 4 year olds don’t know their last name.  All children need written identification on them, meaning write on their hand or use a sticker for little ones.  For older children, give them a copy of the vacation itinerary.
2. Teach your children your full name and their father’s full name. (Grandparents full names, whoever you are visiting, and city name where they are going.  They may not remember, but at least you will know you tried.)
3. Use stickers- preprinted with name, parent’s names, cell phone number (including area code) and address.  Place identification stickers on clothing or use in shoes.  Make sure that your child knows their name and address is in their shoe. (You can buy name tags to run through your printer, or the simple introductory stickers.)  Include if you can, cell phone numbers (including area code), home phone numbers (including area codes),  home address, and your child’s pediatrician’s phone number (including area code), and an emergency contact number.
4. Take a photo, with your camera phone or camera, of each child on vacation, at the beginning of each day.  It will I.D. them in the outfit that they are wearing that day, and vacation photos are wonderful memories so it is a two for one.  Also, all adults on vacation should carry current photos of your children.
5. If you should decide to purchase a more costly I.D.  bracelets or dog tag, you should include:  cell phone numbers (including area code), home phone numbers (including area codes),  home address, and your child’s pediatrician’s phone number (including area code), and an emergency contact number.
6. For older children:  Be sure they are told hotel names and number, and give them a copy of your itinerary to carry with them in their backpack.