Ideas for dog tags and other safety measures for preschooler

May 3, 2013 10:38 AM

My 4.5 year old and I are spending the summer in a country where most people don't speak English and although he knows a bit of the local language, he doesn't know enough to handle an emergency situation. I'm looking for ideas to work through this.

I don't want to sound paranoid, rather I'm of a better safe than sorry mindset. My son isn't verbal enough to even have my American in English phone number memorized yet, so I can't rely on him memorizing a phone number in a different language. He is also a little shy, so he might be reluctant to speak to a stranger.

I want to have some sort of dog tag or other notification on my child with my mobile phone number and 2 native speaker friends' mobile phone numbers.

And I will instruct him if he gets lost to "find a woman with kids or a grandma" (police are not to be trusted where we are going) and to show them his bracelet/dog tag/whatever.

I won't know my mobile number ahead of time, so harder to get that engraved. I guess that I can rely on listing 2-3 friends' numbers and assume that at least 1 of them will be capable of getting a hold of me.

Getting something engraved in country will probably be a pain, and I can't get anything mailed.

Also note that my kid is super finicky and doesn't like "itchy" things and so the least bothersome solution is probably best.

And it will be 100 degrees all the time, so wearing a watch might be annoying.

I assume that he will have his backpack with him most of the time, but I wouldn't count on that for his primary way to give information.

My ideas right now are:

- a watch (and really play up how cool it is to wear a watch like a big boy, let him pick it out), and do a label maker or some other sticker on it with the phone numbers.

- some sort of tags to hook onto his shoes/sandals (this will probably be the least irritating to him).

- Maybe a dog tag necklace, but I can't imagine him being so keen on wearing this.

Other ideas?

Here's a dog tag example. I probably could attach that little carabiner to his shoe.

Here are shoe tags, but they seem sort of like overkill.

This is a Livestrong-esque bracelet.

These seem to be paper bracelets like you get at a concert.

posted by k8t to Travel & Transportation (31 answers total)

Road ID's line of products is what came to mind immediately. You can also get ones that loop onto shoe laces (and I've used my wrist one like that as well) if itchy was a problem or if you wanted a double whammy of protection. Will you be attached to a dig, field site, or school? In lieu of your mobile number, you could put their name and their phone number. Mine also have an email address for my overly-connected parents. Also of this is a smaller town, they usually know where local schools/universities are. It's also easy to get replacement bands, so you could theoretically have a new plate made with your phone number.

Alternatively, Sharpie and a bunch of actual Livestrong-type rubber bracelets in a light color.
posted by jetlagaddict at 10:44 AM on May 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'd go with the "concert" style made of Tyvek. New one every day, write short itinerary, date & contact info in ballpoint. Can make a fun deal out of it, "here's what we're doing today!" & even do one for you that he writes on similarly ... A picture or whatever.

I'm doing something similar this summer for a group of older more verbal kids - this is what we did when they were younger.
posted by tilde at 10:47 AM on May 3, 2013 [5 favorites]

Best answer: There are these temporary safety tattoos for kids.
posted by Nickel Pickle at 10:48 AM on May 3, 2013 [6 favorites]

Could you sharpie it or carve it into his shoes? Assuming the country in question is NOT one where shoes are considered dirty/offensive.

What about getting a tag made up (at home) in a pet store? They engrave to order and you don't have to buy a whole apparatus to wear, just the tag itself. You could put it on a tiny carabiner and attach to his belt-loop, or lace it into his shoes, or squeeze it onto an unobtrusive part of his sandal.

Worst case scenario, you could write it with marker on the sleeve or neckline of his t-shirt: "I AM LOST. PLEASE CALL MY MOM K8T: [NUMBER]" Sharpie makes washable fabric markers that would be perfect for this.
posted by Sara C. at 10:50 AM on May 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

I know a couple of parents who swear by the SafetyTats Nickel Pickle linked to.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:51 AM on May 3, 2013

I think the shoe thing is great, why have you discounted it? Doesn't itch, always with him (as opposed to a backpack) and hard to forget. As a kid I had one with a little pocket to stash pay phone(!) money and phone numbers, so I might be biased.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 10:52 AM on May 3, 2013

Does he wear pants with belt loops? You could hang a keyring from one, with one of those little flat plastic boxes attached to it, then you could write whatever you needed.
posted by teremala at 10:55 AM on May 3, 2013 [3 favorites]

Here is the one I usually get. It's a big pack but it will last a while and you can put them on bags and things, too.

You want to use a ball point - sharpies will bleed.
posted by tilde at 10:56 AM on May 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

Just an idea that I saw off-duty police officers do with their own children at an amusement park. They took an ink pen and wrote their cell phone number in very large print right on the kids' forearms. No way for that to get lost.
posted by Dansaman at 11:12 AM on May 3, 2013

That shoe tag thing seems like it would just sit there and be part of a shoe; a tag or whatever would flop around and distract and get beaten up and so on.

Plastic shoelace tag?
posted by kmennie at 11:16 AM on May 3, 2013

Is it possible/affordable for you to set up a new number in the country that you are going to, which can be forwarded to any number afterwards? Here are countries available through Skype, for example.
posted by rada at 11:21 AM on May 3, 2013

You can always write out a small card with the appropriate information and get it laminated. That way you can have the most accurate information once you're there, such as your cell phone number and address, instead of relying on something that has to be engraved in advance.

Punch a hole in it, and the card can be attached to his beltloop, if you think it may get lost.
posted by zachlipton at 11:24 AM on May 3, 2013

Yeah, Safety Tats.
posted by cocoagirl at 11:48 AM on May 3, 2013

We lived in a highrise for a few months when I was young. My little brother was too short to press the button for the 17th floor in the elevator, so my mom used to pin a regular luggage tag his shorts with the relevant information on it. If you could attach a luggage tag to a chain or shoelace you could stick the tag in his pocket and it would be out his way.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 11:48 AM on May 3, 2013

I'm not loving the fear-mongering on this website, but it seems that you can get a GPS for your kid. They have devices, but the place on the website that says, "implant"...creepy.

But it is a thought.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:50 AM on May 3, 2013

Response by poster: Note that we're going to be there for 2 months.
posted by k8t at 11:55 AM on May 3, 2013

Best answer: Will you have access to an inkjet printer at or right before the trip? You can buy printable temporary tattoo paper very cheaply and print off your phone number there. (If lost, please call...) and add a cool car or animal clipart graphic that he picked to make him excited about it. Temporary tattoos are good for kids with sensitivity issues who take off clothing or get wet, and you can take 'em off with alcohol.

A cheap temporary phone with a prepaid card for a local number is so so great when you're overseas because you have a local number people can call you at.

We used an engraved stainless-steel anklet for our toddler who runs without looking back in crowds, which worked for two weeks and then she lost it somehow. It was only $20 and a 30 minute wait at a mall - we got a cheap ID bracelet shortened, the kind teenagers buy for their sweethearts. A slightly loose anklet can go over socks.

Now we use a leash. We are seriously considering the GPS monitoring devices. If he likes having a backpack with him, a really old iPhone serves as a useful GPS device - you could password lock it and put it in a tupperware box at the bottom of his little backpack to keep track of him.

We also have trained all our kids to go and ask for help from people working in a shop because they'll have a phone and be with other people. In malls, if they get lost, they wait at the bottom of an escalator because that limits the number of places we have to look.
posted by viggorlijah at 11:58 AM on May 3, 2013 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: - this is a semi-developing country so things like laminators will be hard to access
- skype number will be hard
- I'm sort of digging these temporary tattoos or buying the paper, as I assume SOMEONE I know will have an inkjet printer there

Thanks all!
posted by k8t at 12:02 PM on May 3, 2013

Two months - if the number & contact info will be the same the whole time, a stylish engravable ID bracelet, & one for you, and have someone local engrave it.

Or take a few lamination pouches & DIY a little wrist tag & shoe tag.

I've also made tags out of used Tyvek mailing envelopes.
posted by tilde at 12:03 PM on May 3, 2013

We have one of these for our son. It has a small pocket inside with a small waterproof info sheet. We've hooked it around the ties in his shoes, his ankle, and his drink bottle at various times when travelling, and in the winter it's always in his coat pocket. You might want to modify it to have the writing be in the language of the place you're going, but aside from that it would be pretty straightforward. It would be easy to leave some space on the tag for more info as you get it, or just put a new slip of paper in.
posted by tchemgrrl at 12:03 PM on May 3, 2013

Some lamination pouches a peel & stick, no machine required.
posted by tilde at 12:04 PM on May 3, 2013

Response by poster: Ordered tattoo printer paper. Will make some with Angry Birds, Legos Star Wars, etc.

Thanks all!
posted by k8t at 12:15 PM on May 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

When we go out with my kids in places where they might get lost, my wife writes our phone number on their arm in Sharpie.
posted by plinth at 12:15 PM on May 3, 2013

You can also write on your child with sharpie. The tummy is usually a preferred spot. As a stopgap between tattoos or if you only need them to have the info for a shorter outing.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 12:47 PM on May 3, 2013 [2 favorites]

It sounds like tattoos are going to be awesome. If it makes sense (given the language where you're going and how likely your kid is to understand people with very thick accents), you could make up a sheet or two of paper for the kid to keep in his pack that include written and phonetic english for some important phrases and the local language equivalent so that the mother with kids or grandmother can communicate with your kid a bit. So, "are you lost? are you hurt?" and other yes/no questions. Plus much more detailed contact info.
posted by rmd1023 at 12:49 PM on May 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

You could have a metal dog tag made up and leave blank space for a phone number - bring something like this from the US to stamp it in later. Even if you can't find a hammer, a rock would do.
posted by exogenous at 1:02 PM on May 3, 2013

You can also "laminate" a card with clear packing tape.
posted by mskyle at 1:08 PM on May 3, 2013

I assume SOMEONE I know will have an inkjet printer there

Put one in your luggage as a gift (don't forget ink cartridges), and you'll have room for soveniers on the return trip.
posted by yohko at 2:56 PM on May 3, 2013

Response by poster: Printers don't travel well. Something to do with the power set up.
posted by k8t at 4:28 PM on May 3, 2013

How about a radio collar? Or... something more modern.
posted by cmoj at 6:09 PM on May 3, 2013

We use the Road ID ones and my kids like them.
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:58 PM on May 3, 2013