That was exhilarating

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

At the childrens museum of Richmond and "misplaced" my 4 year old for about 5 mins. She was right where she was supposed to be the whole time. I just couldn't see her. She was within 20 feet till I started frantically searching. That was an educational moment


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.562484,-77.467212

[Strings]

I ever have children, they'll be lojacked...

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Damn fine idea. How fast cam lojack process a find it right now request?   Much over 70 seconds is too long . My heart might not hold up


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.562547,-77.467238

[Harold Tuttle]

Find my iPod connected to a backpack mounted claxon FTW

[mtnbkr]

Low Tech Solution:

[French G.]

Only time I lost my kid was at home, I was in the garden, kid in the sandbox, 3 yeas old. I look up, no kid. My GSD, great historical protector of the family, was right next to me, looking for attention.    I freaked out a little, searched for 5 minutes, I have great line of sight, so covered a lot of ground. I finally found the kid, she had let herself back inside and was sitting in the good chair watching Dora, sand and all. 

I public I get evil stares because I'll let the kid get about 15 yards away without hovering over her. I don't have the heart to tell the old biddies that closely watched and within pistol shot is my personal standard.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I ever have children, they'll be lojacked...

Word

And have a beeper like the cordless phone.

[Perd Hapley]

Word

And have a beeper like the cordless phone.

What, no automatic pilot, return-to-base mechanism, that takes over their motor functions?

[CNYCacher]

Before cell phones got fancy, they got really really small and light.  Snag a 5-6 year old phone, the kind that just had the one-line lcd screen and that you could accessorize with replaceable covers, body panels and keypads and you can strip it right down to the battery and electronics.  Very small package that is fully functional as a phone.  Before you remove the keypad, program it to silent mode and also if you want auditory spying ability set it to auto-answer.  For $20 on ebay and $10/mo to activate you can have something not much larger than a domino that can be tracked by a cell company / police, and runs for 4-5 days on a battery charge.  Bonus: you can call it to listen in.

[BlueStarLizzard]

What, no automatic pilot, return-to-base mechanism, that takes over their motor functions?

Still working on it, but the tech isn't 100% functional yet.

[vaskidmark]

Umm, folks?  They sell these http://www.specialtyalarms.com/site/1313932/page/470306

1.        Child Guard Monitor - Electronic Child Leash
Have you ever experienced the terror of thinking your child is missing or lost? We have all had the gut-wrenching feeling of turning around in a busy street and finding that our child is nowhere in sight. Now this could be prevented with the new improved Child Guard.
Item No. 30-210  Sale: $19.99 - regularly $26.99

just for this sort of situation.  Kid moves more than x feet away and everyone will be mopping up ear wax for the next few days, but you will surely know where your kid is.

Or a less-obvious style http://www.lightinthebox.com/Anti-theft---Anti-loss-Wireless-Security-Luggage-Alarm--TRA-237-_p97663.html

I am surprised and disappointed that none of the rest of you knew about this sort of gizmo.  My disappointment was slightly tempered by the suggestion of a leash.  The lack of mention of det cord, duct tape and/or lasers was appalling.

stay safe.

[dogmush]

I public I get evil stares because I'll let the kid get about 15 yards away without hovering over her. I don't have the heart to tell the old biddies that closely watched and within pistol shot is my personal standard.

I do.

I was babysitting at a playground (no kids of my own) and had a little grandma berate me because the kid was 30 ft away "and if someone grabbed her you couldn't possibly get there in time!"  I smiled my best predatory smile and said "The bullet can."

Then she waited (about 20 ft away) till my friend came back (almost 45 min) and ran up to her stammering "Did you know that man has a g-g-gun around your child!"

My friend looked confused and said "Yeah, that's why he can babysit." Grandma's face was priceless.

Maybe its because I don't have kids, but I don't understand how someone would take responsibility for a little one in public and NOT have a weapon.  Just seems reckless to me.


ETA: Oh and CSD, from your stories....Were you worried about the girl, or the museum?

[CNYCacher]

My disappointment was slightly tempered by the suggestion of a leash.  The lack of mention of det cord, duct tape and/or lasers was appalling.

I'm not going to argue with their results in an academic sense, but on a personal level, I won't be adopting Spetsnaz-style kidnapper negotiation techniques when it comes to my own children.  M-AD via detcord child leash isn't that great of an idea.  Now if I was running a daycare that would be another thing.

[seeker_two]

Low Tech Solution:

I like that idea....but I'm not sure the wife would go for having our child attached to YoSafBridg.......

[Perd Hapley]

I was babysitting at a playground (no kids of my own) and had a little grandma berate me because the kid was 30 ft away "and if someone grabbed her you couldn't possibly get there in time!"  I smiled my best predatory smile and said "The bullet can."

This I don't quite understand. Sure, you could hit the bad guy from that far away, but your kid would also be downrange. 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

DD. I was worries about the kid first then my liability if someone got hurt. It was a real heart stopper for a couple mins. I went predator for a short while. Took a while to mellow out. It would behoove me to watch myself when in that mode lest I do something felonious .

[Waitone]

From personal experience I prefer the kid-on-a-leash method.  It is easier on the kid, more secure for me, and it gives busybodies a case of the vapors.   "how cruel, putting a child on a leash.  It is a child not a dog." 

OK lady (typically),  hold your arm over your head until I get tired and let you drop it.

[RoadKingLarry]

Low Tech Solution:

That's the way we did it with ours and still do with the grands.
Get some funny looks and a few rude comments but a simple "go *expletive deleted*ck yourself" to the rude comments usually shuts them up.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

train kid to say f off

[MicroBalrog]

That's the way we did it with ours and still do with the grands.
Get some funny looks and a few rude comments but a simple "go *expletive deleted* yourself" to the rude comments usually shuts them up.

Seriously? I thought this was a joke picture.

[RevDisk]

Seriously? I thought this was a joke picture.

No, works surprisingly well.  Except the little critters find entertainment in wrapping the leash around objects or legs.

[41magsnub]

The kid leash is a great thing when they are too young to understand they need to stay close.  It is better than a stroller, at least the kid is getting exercise.

[Tuco]

The gr'ups tried that leash crap with me back in '67 or '68.  
Wanting no part of their bizarre bondage fantasies, I sat on the floor of the grocery store and refused to budge.  
They tried dragging and I began screaming.
It was one of my few battlefield victories.

Shortly thereafter a dog was purchased to fulfill their need for a leashed companion.
I was returned to my locked chambers until I was needed for yard work.

[Fitz]

We use a leash that's connected to a fuzzy, plush puppy backpack. Brooke likes it because it has a puppy and she can run around.

[AJ Dual]

We use a leash that's connected to a fuzzy, plush puppy backpack. Brooke likes it because it has a puppy and she can run around.

With our two sets of twins, we had tried those. They'd just run to the end of the leash and then clothesline themselves. Or they'd sit down and try to get us to drag them.

We just gave up on that and strapped them all into the quad stroller until they were all over 5 years old. 

It's still a problem at 6 and 7, they still run around wild, and the amount of yelling and smacking that actually gets them to listen for more than 5 minutes before doing it again tends to get you on the news, or talking to the cops these days.