Upbringing: If the child gets lost – be sure to discuss an emergency plan
Created: 08/18/2022, 05:00 p.m
By: Natalie Hull Drawbar
No parent wants to assume that their child could be lost.
If it does happen, you should know these important tips.
Parents are out and about with their child and suddenly it's gone - how, gone?
That is impossible?!
Panic can quickly set in in this situation.
In an emergency, it is important to try to remain calm.
In order for the parents, and ultimately the child concerned, to be able to do this better, such an emergency situation should be discussed as early as possible and the best courses of action should be rehearsed in advance.
Memorize the following measures and convey them to your child if they unexpectedly get lost.
Upbringing: If the child gets lost – discuss an emergency plan
To ensure that your child does not get lost, you should practice an emergency plan in advance.
(Iconic image) © Hans Mitterer/Imago
Basically, it can happen anywhere and even to the most vigilant helicopter parents: if your child was standing next to you at the playground, at the zoo, on a shopping spree in the city or in the supermarket, the next moment the distraction is no longer there seen.
Now, despite the excitement, it's time to keep calm and look for your child at the scene and call their name out loud.
If it doesn't turn up within five to fifteen minutes of the search and even asking passers-by isn't successful, call the police.
In such an emergency, not only the lawnmower parents should encourage their child's self-confidence and independence.
This increases the chance that your own child will know how to behave as confidently as possible despite fear.
In order to be able to cope better with such moments of shock, it helps to know a basic emergency plan and to practice it with your child, as summarized by the online portal
Verywell Family
.
Your child needs to know that you will always and definitely be looking for them - be sure to tell them beforehand.
This increases the child's sense of security and possibly reduces fear.
If your child gets lost: five tips for emergencies
Tell your child to stay put
Communicate to your child that it is important, despite fear and panic, to stay where they last saw you.
This increases the chance that they will find each other again.
also read
Vitamin D: Common mistake can cause our body to produce less sun hormone
Stomach pain at high temperatures: Heat waves cause more gastrointestinal patients
Tell your child to shout and listen!
Explain to your child that if they go missing, you will call them.
At the same time, emphasize that it is important for your child to call you out loud.
But not “Mama!” like many other children do – but they should know their first name and, ideally, their last name by heart and shout out.
You can find even more exciting health topics in our free 24vita newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
Make a meeting point with your child at the beginning of the excursion or when you go shopping
Before you go out with your child in a potentially large crowd, make a common meeting point if you lose sight of each other.
This can be a sign, a specific store, or simply the checkout area or checkout staff.
The main thing is that it is a place that both of you can memorize well in an emergency and that you and your child can also describe well by explaining it to other people.
Provide your child with their mother's or father's name and phone number
It's a good idea to put your child's and your child's name tag and phone number on the inside of your child's clothing.
If you need to be quick, simply write both with a ballpoint pen on your child's arm - safety then takes precedence over possible hygiene concerns.
Take a recent photo of your child
Even if it sounds strange at first: Always take a recent photo of your daughter or son before going on a joint venture and carry it with you – no longer a problem in the age of mobile phones with integrated digital cameras.
This makes it easier to find your child and can prevent worse things from happening in an emergency.
If your child gets lost: what to do with strangers?
If one's own child is lost, the fear is particularly great that it could be drawn into a conversation by strangers who do not mean well.
In any case, your child should know that they should always be reserved and skeptical towards people they don't know.
Never just go along with strangers.
If your child does not have a good feeling - and even children can rely on the intuitive feeling - it should turn away purposefully, preferably in the direction of the agreed meeting point, and draw attention to itself as loudly as possible - this behavior and procedure should be the chosen tactic your child when they get lost.
The loss of a son or daughter could possibly be avoided by holding each other's hands or holding them in public - or even by tying one's own child on a leash, as an American father usually does.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor. Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.