15 Tips to Keep Children Safe While On The Go [From The Mouths of Moms]

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Can’t find time to read all of those parenting books and magazines?  Don’t have a lot of mommy friends to bounce ideas off of?  Kids go crazy every time you get on the phone to ask a friend their advice?  No problem; I’ll do the work for you!  I’m bringing you kid-tested parenting tips for specific parenting challenges “from the mouths of moms.”  Last time we shared our ideas for getting kids ready for the first day of school.  But for those of you who are traveling this Summer or just need some tips for those everyday grocery trips, here’s some ideas for keeping children safe while on-the-go…

Alright, Mamas, how do you keep your kids safe when you’re on the go?

1. Have Them Hold The Car
“When we get out of the car, and I’m fumbling with keys, and my handbag and wallet, locking the car, etc., I ask my son to hold on to the car handle so I know he isn’t wandering off where there are cars around. He just stands here holding the door handle without even being asked now.” Ness from One Perfect Day

[Tweet “On-The-Go Parenting Tip: I ask my son to hold onto the car handle so I know he isn’t wandering off.”]

2. Teach Them To Stay In Sight
“The big [rule] when we’re out is: ‘If you can’t see me, I can’t see you and I need to be able to see you.’” Marnie from Carrots Are Orange

3. Give Them a Mommy Card
“I put one of my ‘mommy cards’ (business cards with the kids names, my name, and my cell number) in their pockets and tell them to hand it to an adult that works at the place if they are lost.” Laura from Play Dr. Mom

4. Use a Different Tone of Voice
“I try to only use a firm voice when he is doing something dangerous so he knows that I am serious.” Amy from Z is for Zel

5. Write Your Number on Them
“When we go to crowded places like London or country shows I write my phone number on his arm. He likes that and tells random strangers that it’s so he doesn’t get lost (he is usually holding my hand while telling them).” The Monko from Taming the Goblin

[Tweet “On-The-Go Parenting Tip: When we go to crowded places I write my phone number on his arm.”]

6. Keep Them in the Car
“When getting groceries out of the car, I keep [my son] in the car and let him play until everything is unloaded.” Amy from Z is for Zel

7. Establish a Meeting Place
“When we get to a location we talk about who they can ask for help (identify staff) and where our meeting place is … (i.e. ‘look – our beach chairs are between the lifeguard and the blue flag’)” Laura from Play Dr. Mom

[Tweet “On-The-Go Parenting Tip: When we get to a location we talk about who they can ask for help.”]

8. Use a Bracelet
“At the beach and when at the zoo I have wrist bands for the kids with ‘My Mummy is …… and her phone number is ………’ That way if they do go off they can get hold of me as well.” Cerys from Rainy Day Mum

9. Teach Them to Freeze
“We play the freeze game at home and with music. The kids know that if I say freeze, they need to stop. This is really helpful when out and about because if a situation is not safe, I can say freeze and most often they do. Then I can guide them a safe way.” Amanda from The Educators’ Spin On It

10. Use the Stroller
“My twins are 4 and still sit in their stroller when we go places. If it is just me taking them somewhere or it is not some kid friendly place, they stay in the stroller.” Kristen from Caution: Twins at Play

11. Give Them a Task
“I sometimes have him help me push the stroller (with the baby in it) when he seems particularly energetic and wanting to run off – having a task and being able to ‘help me’ excites him enough to stay close.” Jennifer from The Good Long Road

12. Play Red Light, Green Light
“I have taught J the red light/green light game. We practice it at home a lot. Then when we are out and about and he starts running off, I just say red light and he knows to stop. Usually it turns into a game, which is ok because he’s staying safe and engaged.” Amanda from Dirt and Boogers

[Tweet “On-The-Go Parenting Tip: When he starts running off, I say ‘red light’ & he stops.”]

13. Use a Backpack with Reigns
“Before having kids I admittedly was one of those people that looked down on ‘the leash,’ but Sawyer was a runner as a toddler. And that monkey backpack with the ‘leash’ saved us many times!” Krissy from B-Inspired Mama

14. Read Books About Safety
“I talk to my son a lot about what it means to be safe. There is a great book with that title, What Does It Mean To Be Safe?, that is excellent for addressing these points with young children.” Marnie from Carrots Are Orange

15. Give Them Lots of Time to Run
“In a car park the rule is goblin must hold my hand. The rest of the time he is allowed to run absolutely free so that he realizes there is a difference.” The Monko from Taming the Goblin

How do you keep your kids safe when you’re out and about?  Share in the comments below!

More Parenting Tips from Moms:

    

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