Mum’s brilliant yet simple hack for keeping your kids safe

Every parent lives in fear of losing their child, whether at the pool, a theme park or even the local shops. And for those that have ever experienced it, every second feels like an eternity. However one mum posted a cheap and easy safety hack on TikTok that might help put parents at ease. And the clip went viral.

“Keep your kids safe”

Shari Medini, co-owner of parenting website Adore Them Parenting and co-author of Parenting While Working from Home, has a few tips up her sleeve. And this practical safety suggestion is extremely simple. “Keep your kids safe this summer with this quick and easy mum hack,” she says. “All you have to do is order a pack of these Tyveck wristbands. They’re like 500 in a pack for less than $10.”

“Keep them in your car or your bag, along with a Sharpie,” Shari continues. “Then whenever you get to your destination, just write your name and your phone number and put it on your kids wrist.”

Piece of mind

This is an excellent idea and as Shari says, “It’s waterproof, cheap, easy and might just give you a little bit of piece of mind while you’re out and about having fun this summer.”

It may not be new for some parents out there (as many followers commented on the post), however the idea of having the right materials, ready to use at a moment’s notice is fantastic. How often do you go somewhere and you don’t have pen or anything to write on? Except your child’s arm/hand, which is never the most reliable surface…

“That’s … genius”

The video attracted enormous attention with nearly 11,000 likes and over 100 comments. Most of the viewers were thrilled with the tip. “Oh my gosh, this is brilliant!” posted one follower, while another said, “Most theme parks do this for you at guest services. But great idea mom”. Other appreciative comments came flooding through such as “great idea”, “love this!” and “this is awesome”.

However for some parents, the hack proved problematic when it came to the issue of privacy. “I would rather not have my child walking around with personal information on his wrist,” commented one concerned parent.

Followers then suggested helpful solutions for this problem. “You can write the info on the inside and then teach your kid to rip it off for the number,” was one idea, or even easier, “I would write the name and number on the inside and say ‘take off in case of emergency’.”

So, while the wristband idea does not suit everyone, it might just help to alleviate some parents’ stress. After all, keeping track of a busy toddler is a full time job and any help you can get to make it easier, is always worth considering.