How not to lose your kids

Over the festive season, the Durban beaches were packed with people.

January 1st and 2nd were particularly busy with thousands of locals and holiday makers flocking to the beach.

I drove past, hoping to make my way to California Dreaming (a new restaurant on the promenade) and I turned away because the beach was just so packed. It was so bad that some people had their gazebos set up extremely close to the road.

And with thousands of holiday makers at the beach, we are faced with the same problem every year: the issue of missing children.

Children often get separated from their parents in the crowds, and some families fail to communicate with each other - thus resulting in the mother thinking that the child has gone home with the aunt and visa versa, meanwhile the child is left on the beach.

Well, what can we do to solve this problem? In my opinion, we need to be more vigilant parents. Pay attention to your children and don't just let them wander away. I also would stay away from the festive beach rush and if your feet get really itchy and you must go, avoid the main beaches (North, South, Suncoast, uShaka etc) and aim for the quieter beaches. That way you can enjoy the beach and be able to spot your child easily. 

What do you think? How can we ensure that there are fewer (and hopefully none) lost children on our beaches during the festive?"

(Photo: Daryl Visser, New Year's Day, 2015. Via: www.darylvisser.com)