Duracell commercial?

[susiestar]

Has anyone here seen the Duracell battery commercial where the mom turns her eye for a split second and her son disappears from eyesight at the park? She dumps her bag and finds a Brickhouse Child Locator and finds him??

I got curious about the Brickhouse Child Locator and googled it.

Part of my curiosity was having Wiz disappear several times on husband and once on me. husband kept losing him at one shopping center where we did our monthly shopping and we lived in a big city with a really bad string of child molestations/abductions by strangers. husband was a LOT more likely to snap at him or get absorbed in trying to get the shopping done which was why he lost him more. I took more time on the shopping and included Wiz in the product selection more so he was more interested when I took him out. I also took him for chicken legs at a wings restaurant before we shopped so he wouldn't be hungry (nor was I adverse to opening a package of carrots or crackers to eat along the way - it kept him closer to me also. I just made sure it wasn't a product sold by weight.)

Anyway, the terror level in losing a child at a large store stays with you.

This looks like a neat gadget that might be very handy. It is expensive for my budget though. I thought if any of you had similar escape artists you might find in interesting.

here is the link. http://www.brickhouse-childsafety.com/brickhouse-child-locator.html


What is YOUR story with having a child run off for some reason in a public place, scaring you quite a bit??

I knew why Wiz left husband more often than he left me. husband hugged him, and then chewed him out loudly once they were in the car. They didn't finish the shopping. After they got home husband figured the yelling he did in the car was "punishment" enough. So he never followed through with the grounding and no video games he screamed at Wiz about.

I never raised my voice. I made him go through the rest of the shopping. I refused to get him anything he wanted in the way of cookies, etc.... I did let him eat some veggies in the cart. Didn't seem reasonable to starve him into a meltdown but it wasn't his first choice.

I also removed tv and video game privileges for the day. I was calm (though I did hug him when I found him!) and made SURE he knew what treats I would have gotten and didn't get. Before every outing OF ANY KIND for the next few weeks I warned him that I would remove ALL pokemon stuff if he was out of my eyesight.

He knew I would follow through. He knew husband would not.

So what is YOUR story?

 

[Shari]

I never lost my kids when they were little enough to really scare the carp out of me, but I did lose my grandpa once. On the college campus, no less.

 

[AnnieO]

A couple of years ago, husband took difficult child 2 to his football practice and difficult child 1 went along with. I went to a thing about an in-school educational camp for difficult child 1. Well, difficult child 1 was supposed to stay in eyesight. husband looked away from her for a split second and she vanished around the school.

Well, I got done, and difficult child 2 got done, and difficult child 1 was nowhere to be found. husband tried to call her but she didn't answer her cell phone (provided by BM of course). The entire coach staff was looking for her. I came over to look too. Nowhere. Now this area backs up to houses. Then BM's boyfriend shows up saying she called HIM because husband left her there (husband was there the whole time). Just then she comes strolling up the street on the other side of the school where she was not supposed to be. BM's creep left and she rode home with me.

Then of course BM threw a fit on the message board we use for communication, saying we deserted the kid. Whatever.

difficult child 1 has pulled a disappearing act a few times resulting in Amber alerts. Nothing recent - but that's because she knows we have GPS on her cell phone! She doesn't have it right now, but she's grounded so she's with an adult 24/7. LOL!

As a child I used to disappear because I thought it was funny. As a mom, I can understand why my parents went off the deep end!

 

[Star*]

Dude ran away from us at the Zoo - WHen the staff asked us what he looked like - DF said - Kinda like a hyena but taller. I was livid. Our zoo is next to class 5 rapids - I was NOT amused. We found him wandering in the botanical gardens chasing butterflies. Viva la ADHD child.

FYI - regarding the Duracell/Brickhouse locator commercial - I wrote Duracell about the commercial and complained BECAUSE I have lost Dude so many times......

Few know this - but the ORIGINAL commercial shows the Mom in the park on a blanket one child in the stroller and one walking away with a balloon on his wrist. The Mother frantically DUMPS the contents of her purse on the blanket and finds the brickhouse locator.

In the original - in the next frame you see the Mother WITH HER PURSE on her shoulder - pushing the stroller - holding out the locator. Sorry - if I am looking for my son - I'm not goign to put the stuff BACK in my purse and THEN look for my son. So I told them it looked STUPID. They apparently took the matter under advisement or had several other complaints -because NOW you see the woman WITHOUT a purse.

Now if I had dug in my purse and FOUND the thing - yea = I'd sling it over my shoulder and take it WITH me - but if I dumped it out frantically? I'm not going to gather that junk up vs. looking for my son.

There is another commercial similar to that which was changed - can't remember - but it had something to do with children - I'll think of it later and let you know.

crumb snatchers.

 

[Andy]

When Diva was about 4 years old, we were in a check out line at Wal-Mart. I left her with the cart as I walked two lanes down to get something. When I returned, she was gone. I was so scared more so because we were in line to leave the store and I thought she may have followed someone out.

Store employees called a Code Adam and would not let me out into the parking lot to look for her. I begged them saying that it was possible that she followed someone out. They finally let me go look. She was not out there. The only thing I could think of was, "I don't want people praying for my child's safety - I just want her back NOW!!!" and "How am I going to tell husband?"

When I came back into the store, employees said, "Oh, she probably went to find the toys." No, my child would not be one to walk off to find the toys.

They did find her walking through the toy department but that was NOT her destination. She had remembered me contemplating switching hot glue guns and thought I had gone to the craft dept without her. The toy aisle was in the direct path to the craft dept. She was walking to the opposite side of the building to look for me.

I asked why she did not ask an employee for help, she stated she did not want to bother them because they were working.

This was all within probably 5 minutes but the terror you feel is so devastating. Even though I really didn't believe or feel deep down that she was stolen, I knew there was always that possibility. I think I was more afraid that she had just followed someone out to the parking lot and she would get hit by a car backing up and no one would be out there to help her back in because it did not appear that an employee was doing a parking lot check and they really did not want me to go outside.

The total lock down concept is great but what about the time between the disappearance and the code? There is often time to have the child get outside rather on his/her own or by being taken. I wonder if stores have a policy to sweep the parking lots as quickly as possible?

And p.s. - Why was the locater buried in her purse to begin with? If I was using one, I would have it in a pocket or hooked onto my purse - anywhere that is easiely accessible.

 

[Hound dog]

As toddlers, I used a harness and leash purchased at Sears. Zipped up the back, no way for the kid to get it off. My Mom used handcuffs....I kid you not. She used to tote 5 kids around the state fair all handcuffed together and to her wrist.

I figured the harness was much better. The leash gave them room to move as well.

I never had a kid run off....or get lost. (thanks my lucky stars) In parking lots they were taught to stand in the police frisk position with their hands planted on the car. Once they outgrew the harness it was either a parents hand or they had to hold the shopping cart. Any deviation got Mom's hand latched around their arm and fingernails into soft flesh. A proven, swift attention getter.

Nichole has followed my example and Aubrey is very well behaved in stores and the like. easy child in my opinion gives Darrin a bit too much free range, although he doesn't wander off very far.........yet.

I was ruthless when taking the kids out into public. Bad behavior wasn't tolerated. Swift old fashioned subtle punishments taught to me by my grandmother. And I double dared anyone to say a word to me.

This was an absolute must. My kids literally went everywhere I went unless they were in school.

Fortunately with grands.........it only requires the Look to get them under control.

 

[susiestar]

I ran off ONE time. It was Dec 23 and I was 8. I had been saving allowance for my present to my mom. Dad had PROMISED to take me shopping the weekend before. I was certain he was just not going to take me, not because I misbehaved, but because he didn't want to (he hated shopping, esp with a kid in tow - and NOT because we acted out in any way. He also hated Christmas with a passion - and I knew it!).

My mom had to run to Sears to pick up a check and a belt for her sewing machine. She worked there part time in the fabric dept (way back when they sold fabric!)

I ditched her to go and buy her gift. I went to the perfume aisle and found a lemony perfume covered with a crocheted snowman. I had just enough money to get it. As I was paying they paged me over the loud speaker system. I asked the lady if she could just double bag it instead of wrapping it because my mother just called for me. So she did.

BOY did I get into trouble that night when we left the store. I wouldn't tell her what I had done, though I did say it was important to me and I would tell her after Christmas. I hid the bottle in a coat pocket and she didn't see it.

On Christmas (after my dad had truly refused to take me shopping) I gave it to her with a note in the package apologizing for worrying her. I told her I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get to a store to buy her a gift if I didn't sneak away from her. I promised to never do it again as a ps to the note.

Mom kept that bottle and card for many years. I wouldn't be surprised to find the card in her bedside drawar even though the perfume is long gone.

So that is the story from another perspective than the parents.

 

[Fran]

easy child, who always thought he was 30yrs old was with me at the grocery store. It was not too long after hurricane Andrew. The local grocery store had opened. I ran into a neighbor and we were comparing war stories. easy child wandered off. I didn't even notice because in about a nanosecond I was paged. easy child who was in K at the time, couldn't see me and went directly to a store employee and had me paged. He saw me and said "why did you leave me?"
He has been responsible since birth and always has an action plan. He made us practice escape routes during a fire. rofl.

We figured if difficult child was taken they would return him in 45min. I'm joking of course. He was so hyper active that we always had a death grip on him at all times. I watched him like a hawk.

Lisa, I love the chest harnesses. I didn't know about them when difficult child was a toddler. There are even harnesses that clip into the high chair so they can't climb out of the chair. We used a wrist restraint. difficult child would just lay on the floor when he came to the end of the tether. rofl. It was embarassing but at least he was connected to me. I was one who before children thought it awful to restrain a child like a pet. Total ignorance on my part of course. If your kid is a difficult child or a wanderer, they need to be safe and they should be tethered. If I could go back, I would use a chest harness from the time they started to pull away or climb from the high chair.

 

[Nomad]

I will look into the "gadget" out of curiosity.

Fran's story FREAKS me out. Our children are similar and I too recall FINALLY getting to the food store after Hurricane Andrew!

We had a practical older easy child and a super hyper difficult child. We use to say ALL the time a few things...1) if someone (g-d forbid) took her, they would return her and 2) if someone wanted to rape her, (g-d forbit), she would punch their lights out!

 

[skeeter]

I always said with my oldest, they would have had to cut my leg off to take him - he absolutely would NOT leave my side.

I had a harness with my younger one, however. He would be gone in a nanosecond. I tried the wrist things - he took it off and handed it to me!!

We had some really rugged property we would camp on (near Red River Gorge in Kentucky). This was wooded, had numerous springs, lots of cliffs, poison ivy, copperheads, you name it. We had an area cleared for the camp site that was "safe". I hooked up a dog run and also used the harness on the younger one there. He could walk all over the campsite - not get in the campfire - and not go off into trouble.

 

[Andy]

The grocery store was the first place I would let the kids go off without me (when they were about 7 - 8 yrs old). They would go get the milk, or cereal, or whatever. We had a rule that they were NEVER to walk along the front of the stores where the check out counters were. We were all (parents included) to go down an aisle, turn around and walk to the back of the store before exiting that aisle and going down another. If someone was looking for someone else and could not find them, they were to stand in front of the milk display (in the middle of the back of the store). We were then all to watch that display.

The milk was the first item they were taught to get. They know how to look for the expiration date and it is now a habit for them to do so.

I find it hard to get the kids to understand why I do not allow them to go off at stores in other towns - especially the cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul). In the stores in our hometown, we all know where everything is and I know where to go look (electronics, pet supplies, legos). They are never to come look for me but to stay put (I can be ANYWHERE!) and I check on them often so they can change locations when they want but only when telling me where they will be next.

I love cell phones - Diva is definetly old enough now to go anywhere in the store so we call each other with questions or to find each other or to see if we are both ready to check out.

Now difficult child is old enough that when we are at small stores (such as tourist shops) he can go off by himself within the store. No one is allowed to leave until everyone is ready and we have regrouped. I still get nervous about him going off in large grocery stores or stores like Wal-Mart, Target, or malls that we are not familiar with. So, when he says, "I'll be in electronics" and takes off, I say, "I don't know where electronics is." His reply is, "Watch for the signs". So, this is another growth area we are going through. Those 12 -13/14 year age is a time of physically letting go I guess.

 

[DammitJanet]

I think it was Jamie that scared me the most.

I was in a Sears store looking for a bathing suit when I was pregnant with Cory so that would make him almost two years old. This was in the time not too long after Adam Walsh had disappeared from a Sears store. I was hugely pregnant. Jamie was being very annoying and hiding from me in the racks. You know...those circular ones. Suddenly I realized that the clothes werent moving anymore and he wasnt giggling anymore. I started calling his name and parting all the racks searching for him. No Jamie. This store was in a mall and the bathing suit section was near the entrance to both the mall and the parking lot. I ran..well waddled...over to a salesperson and told them my toddler was missing and they put out a code adam for the entire mall. We finally found him sleeping happily in a dressing room. He had tuckered himself out playing in the racks and when he got sleepy, he just fell out wherever he happened to be! I could have killed him.

From then on he and Cory were always on leashes. I tried those velcro ones on the wrists but both of them just unwrapped them and took them off. I had to go with a double-headed dog leash which I hooked to the back belt loop of their jeans.

 

[Andy]

On our trip earlier this week, we were in an agate shop in Beaver Bay, MN. There is a strip of stores between it and a Holiday gas station. difficult child said he was going down to the gas station to use the restroom.

I decided instead of walking that far, I would drive the van and meet him. husband and Diva came with me. As I parked the van in the gas station parking lot facing the direction we came from, difficult child came out of the ice cream shop at the same end of the strip as the van was at! I told him I thought he was going to the bathroom and he said, "Yes, I went in the one in the ice cream store. Can I have a smoothie?"

I tell you, if I had not seen him come out of that store and had gone into the gas station looking for him, I may have freaked out! I am also glad he saw the van and didn't get scared when he would have gone back to the agate shop looking for us.

 

[Jungleland]

When easy child 2 was about 18 months old, we went to Chuck-e-cheese to celebrate easy child 1's 6th b'day. As husband started to order pizza, i went to find us some tables. I thought husband had him and he thought i had him. It was only about 5 minutes but we were terrified. An employee found him in the lobby chatting with someone. omg! We could not hug that child enough. Just the thought of what could have happened still scares me!!!

We used the Elmo tether/leash for difficult child whenever we went places. She still wanders and i just threatened her yesterday that i was gonna dig out Elmo!!! Should have seen the look on her face, priceless!!!

 

[KTMom91]

I always told Miss KT that if she couldn't find me in a store, she was to go to the cash register, walk behind it, and ask for help. Since I worked retail, I knew a little kid walking bahind the register would get a fast response, and it was better than asking some random person walking by for help.

She was about 8, and somehow got away from us on the way into a restaurant. I thought she went in, and when we couldn't find her, we went into each store in the strip mall looking. She'd gone into the grocery store and went behind the register, asking for help to find her mom. I was so pleased she'd followed instructions!

Of course, that was the last time she followed instructions...

 

[graceupongrace]

difficult child was mobile at a very early age -- and fast. When he was 4, he got irritated with something I said to him, and ran off from the park while I was buckling his baby brother easy child into the car. I wasn't even sure which direction he had gone. Scared me to death. I had that same hit-in-the-gut feeling some of you described. Police retrieved him about a quarter-mile away.

I can see now that it was just the beginning. Isn't hindsight wonderful?

 

[trinityroyal]

I've been very lucky with this one...
difficult child's desire to wander has always been tempered by his timidity. He would take his phone with him and call every 30 seconds or so.
"Mom, I'm in the bread aisle now, where are you?"
"Okay, now I'm in the aisle with all the soup and beans. Where are you?"
(And this was at 16)

Little easy child has been pretty good so far. and tends to stick very close. The rule is that he either has to be touching the cart, husband or me when we're out shopping, and he likes to ride on the end of the shopping cart so he tends to stick very close.

I, on the other hand, was a wanderer. I would just saunter away and go exploring. Thinking back, difficult child-mom never seemed to worry or get upset with me when I'd eventually find her. A simple "Oh, THERE you are.", and we'd continue with whatever we were doing.

The only time I raised a panic was when I was about 3 years old. I wandered away and climbed into one of those storage lockers they used to have in all the malls. You know, the kind where you put in a dime to get the key out? I don't have the foggiest notion of how long I was in there, but when I got tired of my cozy little cave and decided to climb back out, the police were EVERYWHERE.

 

[Marguerite]

difficult child 3 used to wander as a toddler, but to add to the problems he had no understanding of his name. His receptive language was very limited also. SO you could call him and he wouldn't know to respond. I could be searching for him up and down the street and eventually find him playing under the dining table, screened by the tablecloth. Not hiding from me, just totally unaware.

When shopping it was really easy for him to get lost, so we had a wrist band which fastened on with velcro. On the wrist band we wrote his name and our mobile phone number. By this time he was beginning to talk but unless someone asked the right questions in exactly the right way, they wouldn't get any sense out of him. In other words - to find out his name you had to ask, "What is your name?" If you asked, "Who are you?" he wouldn't know to answer.
We also bought sticky labels, the ones you put on schoolbooks. We had a sheet of these in the car with a felt pen. Whenever we got out of the car anywhere, we wrote out a label (difficult child 3's name and our mobile phone number) and stuck the label on his back (so it wouldn't get fiddled with and lose its sticky).

It all bore fruit in 2000 when difficult child 3 was 6 years old. Because we had tickets to go to a couple of Olympics events later in the year, we decided to go to the Royal Easter Show (held at Olympic Park) as a sort of practice run. Now, this is a HUGE event, it gets really crowded. There are thousands of people there, tens of thousands each day. We had seen everything, we had got through the entire day without losing difficult child 3 (we took a lot of precautions, we had a rendezvous point in every building we entered) and as it began to get even more crowded, we decided to head home. It was so crowded that we couldn't hold hands to keep together, people were pushing through everywhere and hand holds were constantly getting broken. We were all walking together heading for the railway station, when husband remembered we had to buy a newspaper. He stopped, we all stopped - except difficult child 3, who kept going a few paces. That's all it took - a few paces, and we lost him. In the biggest, most crowded place in Sydney.

It literally was a matter of a second or two, and a couple of paces, but difficult child 3 was gone. It was dark, it was crowded and he was a small boy who would get scared when away from us and also when in crowds. When strsssed he tended to become mute. We retraced our steps but it was no good - the crowd was so thick it was surging here and there, there was an independent crowd 'current' which made it too confusing.

Then my mobile phone rang - it could only have been a few minutes. difficult child 3 had stumbled into a lemonade stand and they had rung us. He was upset but being consoled by a big glass of fresh lemonade, they had seen the label on his shirt and rung us.

It hadn't been difficult child 3's fault - just one of those things. We thanked the people on the stand and headed for the train as soon as we could find a break in the crowds.

I think that was the scariest time we lost him. There have been other times, he does still tend to wander off, but he is very organised these days and will organise a rendezvous (time and place) if we split up. Plus these days he carries his own prepaid mobile phone so we can generally fiind each other.

Marg