On summer days, the beach is an enormous attraction for sun and sea lovers. It can sometimes be incredibly busy and that is not without danger. It is a well-known fact that children on the beach can unintentionally lose their parents and get lost in the crowd. It is the biggest fear for parents, who often spend hours looking for their missing child. However, as parents there are a number of things you can do to keep your child safe and get them back as quickly as possible if they get lost. The best way is of course to ensure that the child is continuously monitored by one of the parents, but it happens quickly and you don’t have to feel guilty about it, because you are not the only one.
The beach is often overcrowded and confusing for small children
On the beach, children certainly do not consciously run away from their parents. This often happens while playing. Play ball with other children, go swimming and get out of the water a little further on the beach, see the iceman driving and run after him. They can run after a beach ball that is blown away by the wind.
Lots of distractions
There are so many things that can distract a child and draw him away from his parents. Not consciously, but really without a preconceived plan. Children are simply extremely impulsive. They jump from side to side. A brightly colored ball rolling away from them can entice them to run after it and before they know it they’ve lost their parents.
Children have little orientation and can easily get lost
The smaller a child is, the less overview he or she has. It is more difficult for a child to see part of a beach than an adult. Especially on a busy beach, the child can suddenly lose orientation and get lost. What seemed to be a clear place just now, after a few meters, is already a strange place with strange people.
Sudden panic
The child suddenly feels abandoned, panics and starts looking for his parents and the familiar spot on the beach. It runs in all directions and in practice often ends up further away from his parents than was intended. The longer the child searches, the worse the feeling of abandonment becomes.
Beach safety is better on some beaches than on others
On many beaches there is a post where lost children can be taken and picked up by their parents. Sometimes it only takes half an hour, but if children don’t say anything and just keep walking around, it can sometimes take longer. Parents and child are both in panic.
Some people take a child with the best intentions
Some adults even take a lost child in tow, give it something to eat and drink, buy it an ice cream and build a sand castle with it. These are often people who do not have children of their own and cannot imagine how much fear, bad forebodings and stress they cause the child’s parents.
The beach always has landmarks
Beach managers have been trying for some time to keep children close to their parents with new, child-friendly landmarks. For example, there are often recognition posts on the beach with large children’s figures on them, such as a bear, an image of Miffy, a rabbit and so on. Restaurants can also serve as a landmark. They often have an advertising flag for ice cream or snacks that sticks out above the beach crowd.
Give your child an identification sign on the beach
Give small children a wristband made of leather, plastic, or other material that will not come off in the water and write his or her name, last name and your mobile phone number on it with a permanent marker. If there is enough space on the tape, include the address. This way, any finder can call you immediately and return the child directly. This way the period of stress for you and your child is as short as possible.
Learn to say name and address
It is wise to teach your child his own name and address once he or she can say complete sentences, so that he or she can recite it without fail. This is very important for your own safety. Even if you lose the child in a busy city, at the market or at a fair, he or she always knows the address when they are taken care of.
Protect your child by showing them the fixed landmarks on the beach
Therefore, as soon as you have found a spot on the beach, be the first to show your child which permanent landmarks are nearby. Preferably sit close to such a landmark.
Take more children to the beach
If you go to the beach with more than one child, make sure you have an orange flag (as is often seen on children’s bicycles) and place it on a longer pole on the beach. For example, you could use a tent pole for this. Brightly colored parasols are also a good recognition point. Encourage the children to pay close attention to each other and to play together.
Small children get lost on the beach more quickly than older children
The smaller the child, the more careful you have to be as a parent. Make sure it stays within your field of view. A two-year-old toddler loses things more easily than an eight-year-old primary school child. Make sure that one of the parents is always busy with the child. If you are alone on the beach with your child, do not go swimming yourself, even if only for a short while. That ,just a moment, may be just a beat too long.
As parents, don’t get angry if you find the child again
Many parents grumble about their child when they find it. That is understandable, because it is also partly a release from the anxiety and stress suffered. However, try to limit it and let the feeling of joy about being together again prevail.
Realize the child’s fear
Finally, the child also had enormous fears and is happy to have found you again. It will not soon forget that fear, so it will certainly pay more attention next time and stay near you. Even without grumbling on your part. That is not necessary, because the child has not done anything really wrong. You just couldn’t find it anymore.
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