A mum-of-three who enjoys taking her little ones on big days out says there's one thing she always considers when getting them dressed and ready ahead of a special day trip.
Lauren Elliott, 32, regularly takes her three children, aged six, four, and 18 months, out for the day, and loves doing so. Like all parents, however, she has to make sure to balance the fun with safety precautions.
The education professional puts extra thought into what her young children wear, to ensure that, should she lose sight of them, she stands a better chance of locating them quickly and safely.
She's recently found out just how effective her simple hack is, following a moment of panic at a fairground.
Lauren, who runs children's learn-through-play music school Music Monsters, told the Mirror: "I always dress them in bright, distinctive clothes. Easily identifiable, memorable - easy to spot and easy to describe. This includes hats, coats AND T-shirts - all layers."
This precautionary method can, of course, help when it comes to the 'looking loudly' search method, whereby a parent or caregiver shouts out a description of their child, rather than just their name, should they go missing in a public place.
During such dreaded "heart-in-the-mouth moments", Lauren advised: "People around you don’t know what 'Jack' looks like, but they may help you spot 'I've lost my son - in an orange t-shirt'."
Reflecting on her own personal experiences, Lauren, from Solihull, continued: "We were visiting a seaside fairground, and our eldest son, who is only six, went to queue for a water slide.
"I waited at the bottom and waited…and waited. After a slightly uncomfortable length of time, I spoke to the park attendant to see if I could check if he was in the queue.
"I couldn't, as I didn't have a wristband, but they were able to quickly communicate to their colleagues and identify him due to the very distinctive rainbow-coloured t-shirt I had dressed him in!"
She went on to add that it's especially important to consider the colour of your kids' clothing when they're out playing near a body of water, such as a lake or a swimming pool.
Lauren warned: "Always, always, always, if playing in or near water, [make sure your children] wear bright pinks, oranges or reds. If a child falls into a pool or lake, it'll be impossible to see them in blue or green."
Do you have a child safety tip to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
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