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What to teach your child to do if they get lost
Most parents have run through what they'd do if their child went missing. Far fewer have run through it with their child. A few simple rules, practised at home, can turn a frightened lost child into one who knows exactly what to do.
Rule 1: Stop, sit down and stay put
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection advises telling young children to sit down and stay exactly where they are, call out loudly for you, and wait. You will come to them.
The Centre says this is especially important in isolated places like parks, walking trails and campsites.
Rule 2: Know who to ask for help
Instead of "never talk to strangers", NCMEC suggests teaching children to look for a uniformed police officer, a shop worker with a name badge, or a parent with children.
Small children often find it easier to spot a parent with kids in a crowd than a police officer or security guard. Asking for help means the adult calls for you. It never means going anywhere with them.
Rule 3: Nobody moves you from that spot
If anyone other than the adult they came with tries to lead them away, your child refuses to leave. Loudly, if they need to.
Rule 4: Older children go to the meeting spot
With older children, agree on a meeting spot that's easy to see every time you arrive somewhere busy. They go there and stay there, no matter what.
They should never leave the building or head to the car park to look for you.
Make it easy for helpers to reach you
Write your phone number on a sticker or label on your child before a big event. But never put their name anywhere people can see it. A child who hears their name is more likely to follow someone they don't know.
Practise it like a game
Ask "What would you do if you couldn't see me right now?" in the car on the way to somewhere busy. Let them point out who they'd ask for help when you get there.
NCMEC's advice is simple: the more children practise, the better prepared they are when it's real. Our free phone number tips and printable lost-child plan below help too.
Free shareable
Our lost-child plan
One page to fill in together before a busy day out: where you'll meet, who to call, and the four things your child does if they get lost.
Free shareable
Call my grown-up cards
Eight cut-out cards for your phone number. Pop one in a pocket, school bag or shoe. There's no space for your child's name, on purpose.
We're building Mya'Shield, an early alert device for parents. No device replaces a child who knows what to do, so these rules come first.