Wearing ID

[theDudesmummy]

I was just wondering if anyone had thoughts on this. My 4yo DS is non-verbal so if he got lost he would not be able to tell anyone who he is. Now we take great care not to lose him obviously (!) but it is a very frightening thought that if he did manage to get lost (and he is a runner!) no-one would know who he was and why he was not telling people.

Now, I got some engraved bracelets but he point blank refuses to keep them on. DH thought maybe we should get some kind of label to put on all his clothes. I don't like the idea of him being visibly "labelled", but then if the label was inside and not visible would anyone think to look for it? Anyone got any ideas/ solved this problem?

Dsis used to write her mobile number on her children when they went out, no SN just nervous mother.
Another friend had a laminated tag that she clipped to her n-v child, and he knew to wave it at people.

I am sure we won't remember to write a number on him all the time! Can you imagine the conversation with DH: "did you write on the child?" "No, I thought you did" "But I always do it, why don't you ever do it"....

Seriously though, my DS would not wear any jewellery (well not at thr moment anyway).

And a clipped on tag would be removed and eaten!

How about material labels like the ones that go in school uniforms (how I hate sewing these!) but with you DC's surname and a mobile phone number? You could sew them into coats as loops around the existing coat-hook loops and they will sort of stick out above the coat's collar-line. So they are visible because they stick out above the coat but are still discreet. Or material labels on gloves/scarf?

Or do the same with shoes. My DS is always misplacing shoes at school so I now sew material labels around the fastenings (laces or Velcro) so they poke out above the laces/velcro. He's so much in his own world that he doesn't notice that he's totally labelled from head to foot!

Or sticky labels in shoes.? Obviously these are not visible, but if he does get lost, someone might think to see if his name is in his shoes.

You could get something like this which goes on labels (unless you have to cut those out?) and put your phone number on.

Their stamp you could use on the outside of his clothes?

So, more issues than just NV?
Checking for names in clothing and shoes is a good idea. The other thing is to talk to your local police station and make them aware of him, in case he's handed over at some point.

I think I might get some of the sew-on/iron-on type labels, yes. He does not have a problem with labels on clothes thank goodness. I suppose if he was lost someone may well think to see if there is a label in his clothing (better than nothing anyway, I guess!).

The police station idea is a good one, but we do take him out far and wide to a lot of places all over London, so theoretically he could get lost in places nowhere near our local area! Still I might just tell them anyway.

He does have more issues than not being able to talk, yes! And one is not necessarily listening or coming when you call him, hence the worry!

Mine hates labels in clothes, good job he's not into designer gear as he's hack them all out.
Police are at least linked, so if he turns up at one station hopefully the others will be alerted.

I give my son a piece of paper with both mine and DH's mobile numbers written on it. I make sure it goes safely into a pocket and make sure he knows it is there.
Would this be any good for him? Would he remember to take it out and hand it over if he is lost?

Not if he likes chewing things, Perchkin. If a laminated label won't work, paper has even less chance of survival.

Ah, of course. I missed that bit earlier :(

He would indeed either eat it or lose it! No, atm he would not understand he needs to hand it over. So labels I think!

I might try starting training him to hand over a card and not eat it though. He would be able to get it with some training, I think (will probably take quite a long time though, so will gets labels in meantime!)

Would he reliably show a label to someone if he were lost do you think? If so, then a sewn in label would obviously be your answer,
I have to admit to never having thought to look for a label if I find a lost child - although someone used to dealing with this sort of thing, police or an official, might.

Is it worth acting out the possible scenario with him - in the park perhaps with some friends, until he is familiar with what to do if he gets lost (ie show his label)?

We should be able to get them microchipped really.............. ;-)

My friend made several tags with her son's favourite characters on as well, so that he liked looking at the tag.
I often wanted a fox collar for mine, you know the sort they use for tracking wildlife? He was never lost. It was always me who didn't keep up in his opinion.

Yes we were just saying the other day that we wished we could microchip him! A tracking radio collar would also be ideal! In reality, he is not yet really ready to understand the concept of showing someone a label, but we could work on that (he would not know what being lost means yet).

Would he wear one of these?

The seller does note that a determined child can loosen the band though so it might only work if he likes the designs on the bands and is happy to wear it! I have seen other designs online too - I don't think I could persuade my 8 year old DD with selective mutism and ASD to wear one of those.

She has got 'lost' though - well, she was playing with her friends in a park and one told her to sit and wait for her on a bench and then couldn't find her again! Luckily DD (who was 6) was spotted by some dog walkers and one stayed with her while the other did a tour of the park saying they had found a little girl who wasn't speaking... DD wasn't upset as she was just waiting for the friend to return, but it did bring home to me that DD is vulnerable - she wouldn't necessarily recognise she was lost and wouldn't approach anyone for help.

My DS wears his littlelife rucksack when out, it has a large key ring with a photo of himself and a written message on the other side with name, condition and phone number. Luckily it has never needed to be used.

I have this worry too, particularly as DS now diabetic too.

I have worked out that shoes are a constant, so if I could find tags to go on all 3 pairs, like a key tag?

Haven't found them yet though

I did wonder half-seriously how long permanent marker pen lasts on skin (after a pal had a diabetic tattoo)!

The shoe tag idea sounds quite good to me. Engraved dog tags maybe? But I would have to work out how to attach them to the shoes.

The distinctive clothing I do try and do (like to dress him in red!). The other night we went to a fireworks display and attached a glowstick to him! It worked well for keeping track (although of course we still had to keep running around following the glowstick!)