Not long ago, I made a Stupid Mistake.
The Barn Owl and I took the kids to Sentosa for an afternoon of playing in the soft sands of Palawan Beach. A few hours later, we were all covered in a fine layer of sand and sea salt, and it was time to towel off and change into dry clothes for the journey home. Whilst walking to the public changing rooms (which were some distance away), our family got separated when we encountered a large crowd of Japanese tourists and I quickly lost sight of the Barn Owl and Little E.
Here comes the part where I made the Stupid Mistake.
J and I got to the public changing rooms and I realised that the Barn Owl had J’s dry clothes in his haversack. I called the Barn Owl’s mobile phone and found that it was turned off, so I sent J into the Men’s Changing Rooms to look for him. After waiting outside the changing rooms for a while and getting no response from J, I figured that he must have found the Barn Owl and was busy getting changed…so I quickly hopped into the ladies bathroom to remove the elephant that was tap-dancing on my bladder.
I heard the Barn Owl hooting outside the bathroom, so I went out and had the following conversation with him consisting of the following phrases:
- Where’s J?
- Isn’t he with you?
- ARGH!
I cannot describe to you the feeling of absolute blind panic that completely descended upon us in that moment.
Fortunately, we were able to alert one of the Sentosa security staff members very quickly, and J was found within a few minutes.
Here’s the kicker – in the short time that J was missing, he’d retraced our steps from the public bathroom all the way back to the Sentosa Beach Bus Station, crying all the way. When the security staff picked him up, he was wandering up and down the Station, looking to see if we were queuing up for one of the buses.
Poor little guy!
After this harrowing experience, I have learned to give clearer instructions to J and Little E, and also designate a clear meeting place for us to wait for each other if we get separated for any reason. J and Little E also know to look for a responsible adult (such as a staff member in uniform and wearing an official name tag) if they ever get lost. Additionally, they are now in the habit of carrying our contact information with them wherever they go, in the form of safety ID wristbands given to us by Carrie-Ann of My Safety ID. Thanks, Carrie Ann!
Happily secure with My Safety ID wristbands and cuffs
Carrie-Ann, the mompreneur behind the online store My Safety ID, founded the company when she was looking for identity wristbands for her 4 year old son who had started going on excursions with his preschool. Like many parents, she was concerned that her child may get separated from his group by accident and not be able to convey their contact details accurately. The wristbands, cuffs and sports tags for helmets and shoes come in a variety of cool designs and colours, and there is not only room for emergency contact information, but also for pertinent medical alert information.
Child and Adult ID wristbands
We took the wristbands and cuffs with us to our recent trip to Pembrokeshire, Wales. The wristbands are comfortable and latex-free, and the velcro allows for a customised fit that is very secure, allowing the bands to stay on during the high levels of activity associated with preschoolers. They are also 100% waterproof, keeping the hidden ID cards safe and dry, even when completely immersed in seawater.
Looking cool
The adult Sport ID version has a highly reflective 3M Scotchlight surface which is great for people who exercise outdoors in low-light conditions, and the band can also double up as a watch or heart rate monitor strap. And it looks pretty cool too! Imagine if you got matching wristbands for all the family – that would be so cute!
J really likes wearing his Child ID wristband in the Green Camo print, which makes him feel important ‘like a Real Soldier’. He was also excited about the idea that there was a special safety message hidden inside the wristband – it made him feel like a pirate, or a spy! It’s also big enough to be worn around the ankle!
For Little E, who still has that soft baby skin, I decided to choose the ‘Keep Me Safe Cuff‘ in a Hello Kitty Print. This Child ID Cuff is slightly cheaper than the Child ID wristband, and is handmade from a nice soft, washable fabric which is very gentle on the skin. The cuff fastens securely with a simple and pretty pearly snap button, which Little E really liked.
Oooh, it’s the Keep Me Safe Cuff.
I’ll definitely be bringing these wristbands along with me when I take the kids to out to busy places! I can imagine that they will come in useful if we ever decide to make a trip back to Tokyo Disneyland, busy London or even on another day out at Sentosa.
Fortunately, J and Little E have not got any life-threatening allergies and do not suffer from any underlying medical conditions, but I imagine that these wristbands would make a great and much more fashionable alternative to medical alert bracelets, especially for children and adults who have difficulties communicating their needs.
You can find more Personal Identification products at My Safety ID.
A Little Something Extra for Owls Well Readers: Carrie-Ann from My Safety IDs is kindly sponsoring a giveaway of pair of Adult and Child Safety ID wristbands (worth up to SGD$60) to ONE lucky Owls Well Reader! YAY!!!!
To take part in this giveaway:
1. Be a fan of the Owls Well Facebook page.
2. Head over to the My Safety ID website and leave a comment below telling me which product and design most catches your eye. Don’t forget to leave your Facebook account name and email address so that I can contact you if you win – or if you are really shy, you can email 4owlswell@gmail.com with your details separately.
3. (Optional) To double your chances of winning, share or reblog this giveaway on any form of social media that you fancy and leave a comment below with the link!
(This giveaway is open worldwide and ends on 30 July 2014. Winners will be picked via Random.org – just make sure you complete the 2 required steps!)
Edit: This Giveaway is now over and the winner has been emailed! Thanks for playing!
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