Shopping Safety: What to do if You Lose Your Child

It happens to most parents at some point in their life.  You are walking through the grocery store or shopping mall, you stop to look at an item that catches your eye, and when you turn around, you find that your small child has wandered away. 

Panic sets in.  Horrifying scenarios flash through your mind, graphic news reports pop up in your memory, and it feels like the world is ending.  But all is not lost.  Here is what you should do if you lose your child while shopping.

The first thing to keep in mind is that panic is not going to help.  Yelling and screaming may frighten away shoppers who may otherwise be able to help you – and may scare off your child if he or she is hiding nearby. 

Make your way as quickly and calmly as you can to the nearest shopping center manager, security guard, or employee and tell them what has happened.  Most stores have a Code Adam policy, which means that they will announce the age of your child, a description of their clothing, and any other helpful information over the loudspeaker or PA.  All exits will be closed, and employees stop what they are doing to aid in the search.  Code Adam is in place in many shopping centers around the country and is an incredibly helpful program.

One thing you will find in a case like this is that other parents near you will immediately stop shopping to help you find your child.  Typically, kids are found in toy aisles or playing an impromptu game of hide and seek often just a few feet away from where you were originally standing.  After alerting staff, go back to the last place you remember seeing your child and look around carefully.  Check under covered boutique carts and poke your head into all adjacent shops.  Chances are your child was attracted by some pretty object in a nearby store and made a beeline to the entrance to take a closer look. 

The Number One thing to remember is to keep your wits about you.  If your child comes up missing while you are shopping, tell someone immediately.  Don’t worry that you will be judged, as it happens all the time, and remember that the quicker you spread word that you have lost your child, the quicker he or she will be found.