How to Deal with Children that Run Away in Public Places

Children are always looking for ways to explore. Many times a store, mall, or other public place is somewhere that is "different" for them than their usual surroundings. This change in scenery makes it much more tempting for your child to try to leave their parents and explore that location on their own. Unfortunately the world of today can be a very dangerous place for an unsupervised child. This means parents have to be more vigilant than ever in making sure their children are within their range of supervision when they are out in public. As an parent you just don't realize how quickly a child can escape from your view when you turn your back for a moment until it happens to you. There are ways to prevent, or at least limit the potential of this disturbing occurrence happening to you.

The first tip, is to try to have another adult with you when you are out with a child. This way even if one of you are distracted while shopping the other person could be responsible for keeping an eye on the child. This can work well when two parents are out and they each have one child, they can alternate watching the two children while the other is doing their shopping at the store, mall, or other location. Of course there's always a risk that you will not be able to pay constant attention to your child. Sometimes they will try to run away in a crowd, one way to prevent that is by purchasing a "child leash" they sell in stores. Yes, it might look awkward, but would you rather get funny looks or be looking around the store or mall for your missing child?

Another tip for parents who know their children run away in public places is to be particular about the places you take your child. If you have the option of leaving your child with a spouse or a relative when you are going shopping for items you know that will distract you from paying attention to your child, then that is the best option. Take your child into public places when you know you will be able to give them the attention they deserve and need. Children running away and hiding in public places tends to be a phase and they will out grow it. If they realize that they can not "escape" from their parents they will also lose interest in what they might view as a game.

Of course, there is one other hint that you can use if your child runs away quite often in public places. Try talking to your child about it. It's amazing the things you might find out. Maybe you are taking them to a place that they do not want to be and that is why the run away. To combat this situation you can explain to them that if they are good when they are at that place, you will reward them by taking them somewhere they want to go, or doing an activity they want to do with you. Remember, quite often they are running away to act out. A discussion with your child sometimes can solve a lot more problems than parents think these days. Talking with your child and finding out how they feel and why they are doing something shows something very important to your child, it shows that you care.