A few years ago, Jason decided he wanted to train for triathlons.  (I could probably, very quickly, list about 704 things I’d rather do myself, but that is currently irrelevant.)

Training for a triathlon, like many other intense sporting activities, requires an enormous amount of time.  In Jason’s case, many, many hours biking, running, and swimming.  He would bike and run on roads shared with cars.  Fast cars.  Needless, to say, this made me nervous.  I would request he inform me of his route and ETA each time he left, so I had an idea if I needed to go searching for him.

After the completion of his first triathlon, I was digging through his goodie bag he received for completing the race and discovered a flyer for Road ID.

Road ID is a band (bracelet) that contains your emergency information on it.  It was created by a father who was concerned with his son’s safety when his son started training for marathons.  (See, I am not the only one who worries things could happen.)

Shortly thereafter, we ordered Jason’s sleek black Road ID.  I was impressed.  It was very attractive and also provided the extra security I was hoping for.

Fast forward a few years.  Belle likes to go running and Ethan likes to head out on solo bike rides.  There is NO way, in the world that I allow either of them to go on the same busy roads Jason travels on, but none the less, they are on roads with some traffic and potentially could need assistance.  So, we decided to get them their own Road ID bands.  Ethan’s is a sharp blue and Belle’s is a vibrant purple.

Fortunately, we have never had to actually “use” them for emergency purposes.  They have proven useful though.  One day, when Ethan rode his bike to watch a high school baseball game, he forgot to call me when he got to his destination.  I tried to call and text him, but he never heard the phone.  I felt confident in knowing he wasn’t hurt because he was wearing his Road ID and knew I would have been contacted right away if something would have happened.

It doesn’t end there though.  I started thinking about our future family vacation to Florida.  While in Florida, we will be at Disney World and other places that will, without a doubt, be filled with crowds and the possibility of being separated from our kids.  Road ID seemed to be the perfect option.

I don’t like risks.  I don’t like danger.  I like to be safe.  I like to be prepared.  I can now feel a bit more secure with all my kids sporting their Road ID bands.  Owen’s band is an awesome shade of red and Emmitt’s is a bright yellow band.  Katie even has a pink one, made to stretch over her collar.  (We have no need to worry about Katie being lost at Disney World though.  She will be safely planted at home, on Grandma and Grandad’s couch, I am sure.)

On each of the bands we have the child’s name and birth year and three contact names and numbers (mine, Jason’s, and grandparent’s).  You can use one of the the lines to add any allergy or other important information.

The kids all think their bands are the coolest things.  They are “big stuff”, just like their dad.  I think they are the coolest things too, but for different reasons; they provide me with a little more security.  I appreciate that.

Check out Road ID’s 10 reasons you should wear ID here.

You have to be fairly close to see the small print on the metal plates on the bands.  However, I usually have my kids wear the “info side” down, just as a safety measure.

Here are a few other ways I came up with to help keep your kids safe in crowds and ways to find help if you get separated.

  • Make sure your kids know your first name; the one other than Mom or Dad. Or if they aren’t with you, they should know the names of the people they are with.
  • Make sure your kids know their last name.
  • Help your child learn your phone number.
  • If kiddos are too little to know names and numbers – write it on them. Permanent marker will wear off in a few days, but the information could come in handy.  Remember, it doesn’t have to be huge.
  • If you don’t want to write directly on your child’s skin, you could come up with your own temporary info bracelet or anklet.  Or a good friend gave me the suggestion of laminating or taping of a piece of paper after you have filled out your info on it and put it in their shoe.
  • Let them carry your spare cell phone. There really isn’t a need for my kids to have their own cell phones, but we do have an extra one that we let them use when they are away from us.
  • Remind them who to look for in case they need help. Often employees are dressed in specific uniform.
  • Set a designated meeting place to come back to, if your kids are old enough.
  • Take a picture of them before you set out on your adventure. That way you’ll remember what they are wearing and can show other people the picture of whom you have been separated from.
  • If you do get separated, stay calm, both while you’re looking for them and after you find them.

 

We will get our use out of our Road ID’s: hopefully not in an emergency situation, but in the security knowing it is there if we were to need it.  The kids actually got their bands as Christmas gifts and they were a big hit.  I keep the bands in my possession when they aren’t wearing them;I want to know right where they are when we need them.

Here’s to your family’s adventures and safety!  Leave a comment to share your ideas for keeping your family safe.