Child Safety

preventive measures

Spend some time with this article. Children are disappearing all around us. Many years ago, at the mall, I lost my first daughter. My wife, myself and my 2-3 year old daughter were shopping. A clown came up and made a balloon animal for Shannon. We laughed and then went on our way. A few minutes later we noticed our daughter was not with us. Panic We backtracked our way through the store we were in. Just before contacting security I wondered in to the store next to the one we were in. There was the clown, still handing out balloons, and Shannon standing right behind him. She had followed the clown and not us. Parents, I beg you, think ahead and follow some of this advice. It could mean everything to your child some day.

Child Safety- Does Your Dog Have More Identification Than Your Child? by Scott Irwin

Take a moment and think about it. When you consider the fact that, as adults, we would never consider leaving the house without our id. We spend thousands on home and car alarms, we are even protecting our family pets with microchips; however, our most cherished possessions, our children, leave home without any identification.

Here are some questions: - Have you taken the time to record your child's fingerprints, gather a hair sample for DNA purposes, record all his/her specific identification, including specific identifying features and a photograph of your child in a Child ID kit? If so, is it up to date?

- In the event of a motor vehicle accident, in which you have been rendered unconscious, do the emergency medical professionals have a quick way of accessing your child's specific medical history, including your child's blood type, medical provider, allergies, any medications they may be taking at the time, or, even your family's doctor's name and phone number?

- If you were on vacation with your children and they became lost or separated from you, or worse, arrived at a hospital, unconscious, as a John Doe, how or who would notify you and how would they know to do so?

- Do you or your husband, for that matter; carry your child's specific identification, including an up to date picture?

- Do you, as responsible parents, take the time to talk with your children about child safety?

- If you became separated from your child in a crowd, would someone be able to contact you directly, or even know who your child was?

If your answer was no or I don't know, don't worry, you are not alone. The sad fact of the matter is that children do not carry identification; if they did they would likely loose it!

Given today's world, it's becoming a necessity for children to carry identification. This fact was clearly illustrated through recent tragic natural disasters such as the tsunami, hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Pakistan. With each of these disasters, we've witnessed far too many unidentified children.

When thinking of child identification, often, fingerprints and hair samples are the first things that enter our mind. There are far too many companies that profess to provide your child with identification. Let me inform you that 99.9% of those companies are passive in nature.

Fingerprints, DNA information, pictures and even dental records will and are only ever used after the fact. Passive information. Think of it as locking the barn after the horse gets away. It's unfortunate that as parents, we feel that we have done all possible to protect our children by having recorded this information. This is the first step, and a very important step in the safety of your child; however, as a parent, the only time you ever want to look at your child's identification kit is and should be when you update it. This is a very important step towards safeguarding against the unthinkable. Few people are aware that children's fingerprints are actually changing for the first 4-5 years of their life; therefore, it is imperative that this information be updated at least once a year, and every 6 months for the first three years of a child's life.

When looking for a child identification provider, keep in mind the old adage " An once of prevention far outweighs a pound of cure". If all the company provides you with are a fingerprint kit, keep looking! One of the only truly proactive and preventative providers of child identification is Child ID Labels inc.

The purpose of this article is not to alarm you but to inform you, as we are all aware, information is a powerful tool. If, in reading this, you took a moment to think about your child's safety, please email this article to as many people as you know and encourage them to do the same. Your children are, after all, your most valuable possessions as well as our future.

Scott Irwin is the Marketing Director and for Child I.D. Labels inc., North America's only true proactive and preventive child safety and identification provider. Child ID has been protecting children since 1995.

Thanks Scott, Great advice for all parents. There is nothing worse than loosing your child. Anywhere, anytime.

Pages related to Child Safety

Baby Strollers : Troubled Teens : Overweight Children
Teenage Piercing : Dealing With A Bully : Teenagers And Drugs
Crib Safety : Child Safety At Home : Fire Safety At Home