Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Disney countdown: 2 days to go. Safety measures.

I love monogrammed, personalized, custom wearables. If you don't believe me, just visit Day 6 of this countdown. My mom has always warned me of the danger of having my kids' names blasted across their shirts or backpacks. "A bad guy could call them by name..." and you know the rest of the worst-case Stranger Danger scenerio.

But my kids are still young enough that they stay by my side, in the stroller, or holding my hand ALL THE TIME. We're not sending them off to play anywhere out of our sight. I am close enough to my kids ALL THE TIME should anyone call my kid's name, is what I'm saying.

However, I know my Big Girl can get distracted (especially at Disney World, hello.) If she were not paying attention to me in a big crowd of people, I know it would only take a second for us to be separated. Hey, it's happened at the grocery store. It could happen. God forbid.

We could not go to Disney World without taking some safety precautions. First, I had a calm, rational discussion with Big Girl about what to do if she gets lost from Mama. We role-played and she did exactly the right thing. It helps that she is 4 and can understand this sort of concept. Still, I know if panic were to overcome her, this lesson would be long gone. God forbid.

With that in mind, I found a solution to put my mind at ease. I love these nifty Mead Wrist Reminder bracelets! I got them on clearance at the grocery store but I would have paid practically anything for the peace of mind they gave me on this trip. I wrote my cell phone number on 7 of them and tucked them in my neatly packed suitcase. She wore one on her ankle every day, all day: from the hotel room to the Disney parks, back to the hotel pool and activity center, and even when we were dining out at restaurants. I explained to her what it was and she took pride in having a bracelet with Mama's phone number "just in case."

You can see it here - she is safe and sound at Mr. Sanders honey tree, Magic Kingdom.