The Calgary Stampede is always a family affair full of fun and games for kids of all ages! Here are some helpful Safe4Life tips to make sure that your family is safe while having fun during this Stampede.
- Have your child wear a bright coloured shirt – if they get separated from you, its far easier to look for a neon green shirt in a crowd than a child with brown hair. If you have more than one young child, insist that they wear the same coloured shirt.
- Talk to your child about getting lost and what to do if it happens – preparing them is very different from scaring them. Let them know that you will come to get them, and they will be afraid, and that its scary and uncomfortable to be afraid. Remind your child you’d never leave them and that you will always come back to find them — so they shouldn’t try looking for you.
- Teach your child to find a woman with kids if they are lost – statistics show that a woman will remain with a distressed child until the situation is resolved. Tell children to look for a stroller or a child about their same size. This gives them a specific target to search for.
- Make sure your child knows his first and last name, and that they know your first and last name – If need be, fasten your name and number to the inside of their shirt or a pocket in their pants.
- In crowded situations, keep kids in front of you (literally) at all times – have them hold onto a stroller or a siblings hand and be “stuck like glue”