Safety

When we learned that it would likely take Georgie a long time to learn to speak, I explored options for keeping him safe. After looking around the web, I settled on a medical ID bracelt. I was mostly worried about him wandering off and getting lost, not getting hurt or having a medical problem (say, a seizure) so I went with a simple on-line store, not a medical company. I needed people to know he couldn't talk and have a way to contact me.

After talking to a friend who is a 911 dispatcher, I opted NOT to put his name on the front. Instead I put "NONVERBAL EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE DISORDER" on the front and our phone numbers on the back.

A few weeks ago, he got away from me at the grocery store. I turned a corner and thought he was with me. He was not. I didn't panic, because it is a small store and I knew he had to be there somewhere. Thankfully, we go to the same store at the same time ever week and they know us. A clerk spotted George in the produce section and my poor little boy ran up to me, crying. I comforted him and reminded him to show his bracelet to a mommy if he ever got lost. I promised him that the mommy would call me and I would find him.

Apparently, my advice to him was sound. On Checklist Mommy, she has a great article about "stranger danger"- which really isn't what we think it is. The bottom line- yes,  your kids may have to talk to a stranger and the best stranger to find, if they cannot find a uniformed officer or security, is a mom with kids.