Two Tips For Parents
Here's the first tip, which should come in handy for parents out with their kids shopping during the holidays....
If you have your children with you out in public, and it's a busy place, there is almost always a nagging fear of, "What if I get separated from them?" One of the solutions you can use to help alleviate this fear is to get a Sharpie® and write your cell phone number clearly on your kid's arm. It's easy to do, doesn't wash off, and is a very clear way for another adult to contact you should your kid get separated from you. I should note that this is more useful for very young children. Older children should know your number by heart.
I don't remember where Kaellagh and I picked that one up, but anyone out in public who has us do this with Quinn has commented on how ingenious it is. I have to agree.
Here's the second tip, which is just a general one that I think is handy to have in place as a family....
Set up a generalized, agreed-upon place for your kids to find you or for you to find them in a store if they get lost or separated from you. For example, "the back-left corner of a store". Make sure they know where that is when you walk in the store. Maybe have them point it out to you. In that example, make sure they know that "left" means "left when facing the back of the store". Also, don't make it near an entrance. Just try to make it something that they can figure out if they are by themselves and something that is general enough to be applicable to almost any store.
Anyway, I hope other parents find these useful. Of course, these aren't meant to make you less vigilant as a parent, but it's good to have them in place should something unforeseen happen.