The Daddy Call
At a local chain store not too long ago, I saw this woman and her young child. I overhear her say, let’s do the “daddy call”. I was completely fascinated and followed them to see what this daddy call was all about. It was a set of notable sounds they used to locate dad in the store. A few minutes later dad turns onto the isle and enthusiastically said “I found you”.
I do not know if this was a one-time thing, or an actual exercise to teach the young child skills for if they ever separate from their parent or guardian. If that is what was happening, I think that is genius. Teaching a young child not to panic in situations is a life lesson. Creating a family “call sound” could save time and stress if your child gets disconnected from you in a store or park. Making is a unique sound versus crying and screaming, not only will stand out more, but it can be a mechanism to prevent the young child from panicking. Staying calm in any situation is a skill that even adults struggle with.
Once you make your “Family Call”, “Daddy Call’ or “Mommy Call”
sound practice it. Just like a fire drill or learning something new practice is key to create the memory. Just like muscle memory practicing this skill will make children more confident should they get lost, versus panicking and crying. You can practice in a park or your local store like I witnesses. Now I do not know if this is what I witnessed but I feel it is a good skill to teach families with young children.
