A Good Idea for Young Kids

[INeedAMaiTai]

My husband and I will be taking our going-to-be 18 month old on a cruise in November. We decided to get her one of those steel id braceletes and put her name, birthdate, and our names on it in case she gets lost on the ship; that way whoever finds her will be able to figure out who she belongs to. I'm not planning on losing my dd, but I just want to make sure she is safe.

 

I don't know if I am too much of an overprotected parent or doing the right thing, but we are also going to take a little life vest with us and put it on her during the tender rides. I just doing want to take any chances.

[CruisinMermaid]

My husband and I will be taking our going-to-be 18 month old on a cruise in November. We decided to get her one of those steel id braceletes and put her name, birthdate, and our names on it in case she gets lost on the ship; that way whoever finds her will be able to figure out who she belongs to. I'm not planning on losing my dd, but I just want to make sure she is safe.

 

I don't know if I am too much of an overprotected parent or doing the right thing, but we are also going to take a little life vest with us and put it on her during the tender rides. I just doing want to take any chances.

 

You're not being overprotective, just careful and smart. My son is now six years old and when he goes on class fieldtrips I write my phone number on his arm. He has our number memorized but if anything happened where he ended up separated from his class and he couldn't communicate for some reason, I'd want someone to be able to call me!

[PHXscuba]

Never, ever, let anyone tell you you are being overprotective! It is your child and your anxiety level you are coping with in a situation! This includes well-meaning MILs, strangers, even your spouse.

 

I saw a family at Disneyland that had printed their cell-phone number on the kids' arms so if they got lost they would be called. I almost asked to borrow their marker. :D

 

I have also heard of taking a digital picture of your child first thing each morning after they get dressed on a trip so they are easy to describe.

 

What I do on trips: before the trip I make a wallet-size photo of each kid and list their height, approximate weight and birthdate. You can put them all on a sheet to fold up or separate like "trading cards". I know in an emergency I will be too stressed to recall most of that information -- about 4 different kids! That also gives police a photo to use immediately. I am thankful I have never needed it.

 

So whatever helps you have a safe, relaxing time, DO IT. And don't let anyone talk you out of it!

 

PHXscuba

"You can't have everything -- besides, where would you put it all?":D

[I&MsMom]

I hesitated to pop in here, and you may have considered this already...

 

When my oldest was an infant, I was cautioned to never outfit my children in clothing, backpacks, etc. with their names on them. It makes it too easy for a stranger to walk up to them and start a conversation with them, as though the stranger "knew" them - with young children, it's very easy to confuse them with this tactic.

 

I think the bracelet is a fine idea, so long as the font is small enough that it can't be discerned by a casual glance.

 

PHXscuba: That's a good idea about the photos. I'll have to put that in my notes for the next trip! Thanks!!

[Onessa]

I was thinking the same thing as I&MsMom -- have the info engraved on the "inside" of the braclet or investigate bracelets that allow you to put the information "inside" but still very accessible.

[Karysa]

Any decent person that finds your daughter is going to notify the first crew member that they see, that is unless they hear distraught parents calling for their child and then of course they will bring her straight to you. The only thing that I could see where this may help, is that the person who finds her can call your daughter by name which may comfort her if she is scared. The bracelet will not protect her from a dangerous situation or an evil person.

 

From one protective mother to the other, I am really glad to know that I am not alone when I think of every possible scenario or danger that is lurking near my kids. Mine are 12 and 14 now and I have bad news for you, it doesn't get any easier. :eek: Have a wonderful cruise, take lot's of pictures and save the bracelet for your daughter, it will make a wonderful keepsake.

Karysa

[ladymonty]

You are not being overprotective. We are going on a cruise in Dec with our kids DD 6 and DS 3. I am packing life jackets for them to wear on the tenders and anytime we are hanging out on the beach in the water. If you don't already have one, you could look into buying a neoprene Coast Guard approved vest. They are light weight (kind of bulky) and super comfy.

[Spriteshadow]

I have already put together a similar "info card" with picture for our trip in March for my 21 month old twins. The other thing I'm going to do is make sure my Mother and Sister, who will be watching the kids and taking them on a few excursions while DH and I have a break, will also be armed with a letter giving them permission to authorize medical treatment and any other permissions I can think of. I don't want them to have problems getting them taken care of just because DH and I are hanging out at Atlantis and don't know there is a problem.

[curlymom]

I agree--when it comes to small children, you can't be overprotective.

 

Here's what I did, that maybe seems a little nutty, but made me feel more secure on our recent cruise with our 4 mo: When we were on the islands and she was in her stroller (which was a stroller/car seat combo) I ALWAYS made sure she was buckled in. I was nervous about someone wanting to steal her, so I felt more secure having her buckled into the stroller.

 

I almost bought a lifevest, but found out that we weren't going to be tendering on the islands. You might want to check, first, and find out if you'll need to tender. Just a thought to save a few $$ if you can.