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.

Children Traveling During the Holidays are included in the TSA’s Rules For Liquids

The TSA rules for liquids are described as the 3-1-1.  It is a security measure that helps insure the safety of all passengers.  Each passenger, including children, is allowed to bring a clear one quart zip top bag.  Make sure that all liquids or gels are in a 3 ounce or smaller container.  Place all of your liquids into the clear plastic bag, and then put that on the top of everything in your carry-on bag.  After you arrive at the airport, and are going through security, the clear plastic bag can easily be removed from your carry-on and placed into the security bin.  The TSA insists that you use a clear zip top bag.  Do not take larger half full bottles or large half full tubes of anything, they are prohibited.  The rules about liquids are pretty clear, but the TSA has a great poster to demonstrate the 3-1-1.  Certain medications in larger sizes are allowed.  For more information check the TSA website:  http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm

We (www.luckylittletravelers.com) recommend that you look for TSA approved clear zip top bags that come as a kit in the travel section of most department stores.  The kits contain the correct size bottles.  They are inexpensive and easy to find.

Lucky Little Travelers is a website dedicated to families traveling with children.