How to Not Lose Your Kids When Travelling

How to Not Lose Your Kids When Travelling

The reality of travelling with children is that they have so much energy and excitement and it keeps them moving — sometimes in the opposite direction. And then you get distracted for a half second, turn your head, and your child has seemingly vanished. There’s no fear quite like it. I have certainly been there.

Thankfully there are several ways to keep track of your child, no matter where you are. These tips are great for venturing through other countries, going to a theme park, or just standing in line at a gift shop with your antsy little one who wants to pull every toy off the shelf.

Buy a harness

No, they are not leashes and while they may look a little funny to those without a lil’ wanderer, they are brilliant for keeping your child close to you. Harnesses come in various types.

Suspender harness

This is the type that straps over the shoulders like suspenders, around your child’s abdomen, and safely buckles to the front — similar to a life jacket. The back on the harness will have a connecting cord that you hold onto.

Hand-holding harness

These harnesses coil around your hand and your child’s hand with a retractable cord that’s often stretchy. This particular harness does not strap around the child’s body.

Backpack harness

A backpack harness is similar to the suspender harness but looks like an actual backpack. You place the backpack on the child’s back, clipping the harness to the front of their stomachs. And like all other harnesses, connecting via a cord that can also be strapped to your wrist.

Take your stroller

Strollers are great for children who are smaller and still navigating the newness of walking. A stroller allows you to have total control over your child. Plus, they can shut their eyes and rest if they’re tired out but you’re still going strong.

When they become old enough to unbuckle themselves, however, you may have a tough time keeping them in the stroller.

Use a wagon

So if your toddler is anything like mine and was done with a stroller by the time they were two years old, getting a foldable wagon is a great option. Because it can fold, you can easily put it in the overhead compartment on the plane or stow it on various other modes of transportation like a bus or train. And your “big kid” won’t feel like such a baby.

Foldable wagons are great for occupying you child with snacks and toys while you’re trying to get to where you have to go.

Photo: Walmart
Photo: Walmart

Keep a GPS tracker

Technology has brilliantly allowed us to keep to track of everything from our keys and phone to our children. There are different types of ways you can track your child via GPS.

Phone

If your child is old enough, there are various apps to download on your child’s phone in order to locate them

  • Amber Alert App: This tracks your children via GPS and updates every five minutes. It shows if your child has left a location and will allow them to send an SOS alert if they’re in distress.
  • Footprints: Only available on iOS and syncs to iPhones and iPads. This app allows you to track your kid’s whereabouts with maps and locators. It also allows you to set up “Geofences” around a particular location and alerts you once your child has gone beyond that range.
  • GPS Phone Tracker: Only available on Android devices. This is a simple GPS locator that is designed to locate the actual device and its whereabouts.

Wearable GPS

Another cool way to keep track of your child during your travels is through a wearable GPS. These come in the forms of watches, necklaces, or even fanny packs.. The wearable GPS pairs with your mobile device, usually through the GPS’s own app. You can take see different options of them here.


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