by Louise-Anne Geddes, Mindful Mum, 22nd May 2012

• Stay in pairs
• Contact details
• Know what everyone in your group is wearing
• Wear the same colour of t-shirt
• Wrist strap/reins for younger children
• Muster point
• Make them aware of the stewards
• Keep a photo of your kids on your camera/phone

Stay in pairs

Make sure children are holding hands with someone at all times – whether a parent, sibling or friend. Staying in pairs means it is less likely for a child to get lost on their own, giving peace of mind to you and the little ones!

Contact details

Ensure that all children in your party have a copy of your mobile phone number in their pocket. This way, if they do get lost, they are able to give this number to a steward who will then be able to help them find you. For older children/teenagers who may have mobile phones, make sure they have you entered into their mobile phones under the heading ‘ICE’ (In case of emergency). This is a good tip for all, not just children purely as a precaution in case someone takes ill while separated from the group.

Know what everyone in your group is wearing

Before setting off, make sure you all have a good look at one another to see what each is wearing so you can recognise each other easily from a distance This may sound like basic common sense, but it’s amazing how much we don’t see when it is right under our noses!

Wear the same colour of t-shirt

For younger children, having all of your party in the same colour of top may make it easier for them to identify you in a crowd should they become separated from you. Little ones could even choose plain brightly coloured t-shirts and decorate them especially for the Olympics with fabric paints/pens for all the family (sorry parents!)

Wrist strap/reins for younger children

Even the most well behaved of toddlers will get over excited and want to explore new and exciting things at events such as the Olympics, so a wrist strap or reins will allow them to see all they want to see while giving you the peace of mind that they can only go so far!

Muster point

When you are going into the arena, point out a prominent landmark where you will all meet should you get separated when leaving , as this tends to be the time when groups are separated, with lots of people moving en masse.

Make them aware of the stewards

When entering, you should also make your little ones aware of the stewards/first aiders within the arena/stadium. Should they get lost, they will then be less likely to panic if they know that help is at hand

Keep a photo of your kids on your camera/phone

Most parents will have plenty of these anyway, but a recent photograph of your children on your phone or camera will be useful to stewards if you do get separated from your child.

Photography: Spirit-Fire @Flickr

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