'Kids can go missing in 3 seconds': Why UAE parents must set safety rules when travelling
Parents must have age-appropriate conversations and set ground rules when travelling with children, especially those below the age of six, according to experts. This can help in safeguarding kids in unfamiliar situations, and prevent them from being endangered when vacationing in new places. “Winter break travel compounds the level of risk,” said Rafal Hyps, Chief Executive Officer at Sicuro Group. “Families are fatigued, schedules are disrupted, children are overstimulated. Peak travel periods mean crowded transit hubs, busy attractions, and stretched hotel staff which together lower parental vigilance and elevate environmental chaos.” Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.According to Dr Wafa Saoud, Clinical Psychologist at Sage Clinics, parents should have age-appropriate conversations about risk and awareness of surroundings. “Parents can support children by helping them recognise concerning behaviour, trust their internal cues, set clear boundaries, and seek help from safe adults,” she said. “These conversations are most effective when they are simple and honest; for example, explaining that in some countries roads may be busier, crowds denser, or public transport less supervised, without frightening them.”She added that it was important to help children memorise key information such as their parents’ phone numbers and address, particularly if they don’t have a phone with them.Common safety challengeShahid Khan was on a trip to Venice with this three-year-old and one-year-old sons last year when his elder son went missing for a few minutes. “We had strollers, diaper bags and shopping baskets,” he recalled. “At some point, my elder son got cranky and got out of the stroller. We were passing over a few bridges and suddenly, we realised he wasn’t with us.”Shahid said he felt sheer terror wash over him. “We started screaming out his name as loudly as we could,” he said. “My wife started crying. I immediately left the things with her and retraced my steps. I found him just leaning on a bridge and staring into the water. He hadn’t even realised that we had been separated. The whole thing lasted probably five minutes, but it was scary.”His experience reflects one of the most common safety challenges families face while travelling – separation in crowded public spaces such as airports, malls, museums, beaches, and theme parks.“A child can be out of sight in under three seconds,” Rafal warned. “If it’s going to happen, it will most likely happen in an unfamiliar setting, where parents have no mental map and no fallback plan.”Distractions, particularly screens, increase this risk. Travel also disrupts the informal rules children rely on at home; who they can go with, where they are allowed to go, and what to do if plans change.Teaching safe habitsAccording to Dr Wafa, it's never too early to begin teaching children what to say if they feel lost or unsafe in a foreign country. “Providing children with a short, simple script is particularly helpful, as it can be difficult for them to think clearly when they are distressed,” she said. “For example, children can practise saying, can you help me find my mom? It is also important to teach children to seek help from trusted adults including police officers, airport or security staff, and, as a last option, a parent who is with other children. She said it was equally important to help children understand clear boundaries like not to get into a car or go somewhere else with an adult. Rafal pointed out that digital tools such as GPS trackers, smartwatches, and location-sharing apps can provide an added layer of reassurance but cautioned against relying on them alone.“Tracking technology is a layer, but not a total solution,” he said. Devices can fail, lose signal, or be removed, especially in crowded or remote areas. Parents are advised to choose age-appropriate tools and to verify connectivity at their destination.He said that children should be taught to recognise high-risk zones like large car parks, loading bays, underground areas, anywhere isolated or poorly lit. “The key thing for them to remember is, if they feel threatened, they should move towards people, areas with light, and staff,” he said. “They should not hide.”He encouraged parents to react first and apologise later if a child goes missing. “The cost of a false alarm is embarrassment,” he said. “The cost of a delayed response can be a parent’s worst fear. Parents hesitate because they don't want to overreact. They wait because they assume the child wandered off and will reappear.”Sharjah: Over 1,000 family-related police cases in 2025; how parents can protect kids Fake WiFi networks, juice jacking; UAE experts warn of cyber threats travellers face
Parents must have age-appropriate conversations and set ground rules when travelling with children, especially those below the age of six, according to experts. This can help in safeguarding kids in unfamiliar situations, and prevent them from being endangered when vacationing in new places.
“Winter break travel compounds the level of risk,” said Rafal Hyps, Chief Executive Officer at Sicuro Group. “Families are fatigued, schedules are disrupted, children are overstimulated. Peak travel periods mean crowded transit hubs, busy attractions, and stretched hotel staff which together lower parental vigilance and elevate environmental chaos.”
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
According to Dr Wafa Saoud, Clinical Psychologist at Sage Clinics, parents should have age-appropriate conversations about risk and awareness of surroundings. “Parents can support children by helping them recognise concerning behaviour, trust their internal cues, set clear boundaries, and seek help from safe adults,” she said. “These conversations are most effective when they are simple and honest; for example, explaining that in some countries roads may be busier, crowds denser, or public transport less supervised, without frightening them.”
She added that it was important to help children memorise key information such as their parents’ phone numbers and address, particularly if they don’t have a phone with them.
Common safety challenge
Shahid Khan was on a trip to Venice with this three-year-old and one-year-old sons last year when his elder son went missing for a few minutes. “We had strollers, diaper bags and shopping baskets,” he recalled. “At some point, my elder son got cranky and got out of the stroller. We were passing over a few bridges and suddenly, we realised he wasn’t with us.”
Shahid said he felt sheer terror wash over him. “We started screaming out his name as loudly as we could,” he said. “My wife started crying. I immediately left the things with her and retraced my steps. I found him just leaning on a bridge and staring into the water. He hadn’t even realised that we had been separated. The whole thing lasted probably five minutes, but it was scary.”
His experience reflects one of the most common safety challenges families face while travelling – separation in crowded public spaces such as airports, malls, museums, beaches, and theme parks.
“A child can be out of sight in under three seconds,” Rafal warned. “If it’s going to happen, it will most likely happen in an unfamiliar setting, where parents have no mental map and no fallback plan.”
Distractions, particularly screens, increase this risk. Travel also disrupts the informal rules children rely on at home; who they can go with, where they are allowed to go, and what to do if plans change.
Teaching safe habits
According to Dr Wafa, it's never too early to begin teaching children what to say if they feel lost or unsafe in a foreign country. “Providing children with a short, simple script is particularly helpful, as it can be difficult for them to think clearly when they are distressed,” she said. “For example, children can practise saying, can you help me find my mom? It is also important to teach children to seek help from trusted adults including police officers, airport or security staff, and, as a last option, a parent who is with other children.
She said it was equally important to help children understand clear boundaries like not to get into a car or go somewhere else with an adult.
Rafal pointed out that digital tools such as GPS trackers, smartwatches, and location-sharing apps can provide an added layer of reassurance but cautioned against relying on them alone.
“Tracking technology is a layer, but not a total solution,” he said. Devices can fail, lose signal, or be removed, especially in crowded or remote areas. Parents are advised to choose age-appropriate tools and to verify connectivity at their destination.
He said that children should be taught to recognise high-risk zones like large car parks, loading bays, underground areas, anywhere isolated or poorly lit. “The key thing for them to remember is, if they feel threatened, they should move towards people, areas with light, and staff,” he said. “They should not hide.”
He encouraged parents to react first and apologise later if a child goes missing. “The cost of a false alarm is embarrassment,” he said. “The cost of a delayed response can be a parent’s worst fear. Parents hesitate because they don't want to overreact. They wait because they assume the child wandered off and will reappear.”
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