Every parent's worst nightmare is the heart-stopping moment they realise their child is no longer by their side. For one mother, this terrifying scenario became a reality in a busy supermarket, prompting her to share a crucial piece of advice that she believes all parents should know.
The Supermarket Ordeal That Led to a Safety Revelation
The mum, known on TikTok as @jesmartin, experienced the sheer panic of losing her young son while shopping. From this frightening ordeal, she developed and now champions the 'looking loudly' technique as the most effective immediate response. She is sharing her story widely in the hope of helping other families avoid a similar crisis or, if it happens, to resolve it quickly.
"If you're at an amusement park, zoo, mall, whatever it is, and you look around and your child is no longer with you, what you want to do is start loudly looking for them. Do not start silently looking for them," she advised in a video posted on 14 January 2026.
How the 'Looking Loudly' Technique Works
Jess explained that 'looking loudly' means immediately shouting a clear, detailed description of your child while you search. This transforms every person in the vicinity into an extra pair of eyes. She demonstrated how this sounds: "I'm looking for a boy, age five, short brown hair, brown eyes, Caucasian, red Nike T-shirt, black shorts, black shoes."
This approach has two powerful benefits. Firstly, it dramatically increases the number of people scanning the area for your child, leading to a faster reunion. Secondly, and crucially, it acts as a deterrent. If someone with ill intent has taken the child, hearing an immediate, specific public alert makes them more likely to abandon the child for fear of being caught.
"You may feel you look stupid doing it, and maybe you do," Jess admitted, "but it is so much better to look stupid than to be sorry."
Additional Proactive Safety Tips for Parents
Beyond the 'looking loudly' method, the mum offered several other practical strategies to make children easier to spot in a crowd. She strongly recommends dressing siblings or groups in matching, brightly coloured outfits. She recalled a time at a play centre where three brothers stood out vividly because they were all in neon pink.
Her other key tips include:
- Take a 'before you go out' photo: Snap a picture of your children just as you leave the house. This provides a current, accurate image of exactly what they are wearing that day to show security or other helpers.
- Write your number on their arm: Use a pen to jot down your mobile number on your child's arm. This simple step gives anyone who finds them a direct way to contact you instantly.
While Jess hopes her followers never need to use these strategies, having these practical measures in mind could prove invaluable during those first critical minutes of a child going missing. Her advice turns panic into a plan, empowering parents to act swiftly and effectively in a crisis.
