Kids wearing their own money belts?

Nancy is spot on. Every child should carry a copy of their passport, their parent's name, and a list of every hotel they're staying in, address and phone number. If it's possible, it's also a good idea to have the name and phone number of someone back home they can get a hold of in case of emergency. Preferably someone with a copy of your itinerary.

If for some reason the kid gets separated or lost, all he/she has to do is go to the nearest police offer, explain they are lost, and the police will help.

A moneybelt is a great idea since it gets kids used to using them.

Yes, with a minimal amount of money. More importantly for kids, they should have identification (perhaps a copy of their passport), and information about where they are staying in their moneybelt in case they become separated from you.

Our kids always had a 20E note and a business card of the hotel with strict instructions to find a uniform or a taxi cab. No money belts because they didn't have anything on them worth stealing and pockets were too low.

Great advice.

Our kids are smaller, but on a recent stateside trip we had necklaces made for them with their name, our name, and our cell number -- -- sort of a 'medic-alert necklace' -- but with contact info only.

I didn't have my 11 yr old wear a money belt on our 3 week visit two years ago. Never occured to me at all. She always had a small amount of spending money with her( her OWN money) , about 10 -20 euros,,just to buy souvenirs etc. I carried the bulk of her money with me.
She always had hotel name with her, usually I grabbed a card or brochure from hotel,,, but I had also hand written our itinerary on a small slip of paper that she kept in her purse.
I carried her passport.

Since she was 11 she was always with me, and was quite capable of remembering her name etc,, and she knew if we got seperated to go to a store clerk and ask for police.

My kids wore neck pouches. They are a little easier for kids to get used to.

They carried their real passports in them. If I were going someplace busy during high season, a copy of their passport would have been the better option.

Adding a little money and contact information is perfect. Add an emergency contact back home too, just in case.

I'm with Nancy and Frank II on this one, pat. It's hard to remember your name and contact info if you're in a traffic accident, bombing, or natural disaster. These things happen at home as well but you have more resources at home. I'm not a worrywort at all, I just think EVERYone should have ID and contact info on their person, not in a purse.

Years ago as a teen, I was at a concert where some kids died before the concert. Not all of them had ID on them so contacting family was delayed.

Such great responses. Thank you.

In the States, we always tell our son to find a mom with kids if he gets separated from us. Is this a pretty good idea in Italy as well? I like the idea of a dogtag, my husband wears one when he rides his bike.

Whoever mentioned that accidents happen, is spot on. I think with the language barrier, I'd rather he had more than less info on him.

I suppose we could always duct tape each other together! Or superglue :)

Another suggestion I had forgotton until just now --

A friend of ours has their children carry a picture of their parents along with the contact info / note. That way they can hold up the picture and sometimes helpful adults can then spot the missing parent quickly.

Elizabeth, Yes I think the idea of telling your kids to find a mom with kids is a good one; I've lived in Italy.

Unless that mom and her kids are a gang of pickpockets....especially in Italy.

And if the mom with kids doesn't speak English, what then?

store clerk,, and police,, all but the youngest kids could figure this out.

He's 12, I'm pretty sure we've taught him well to trust his gut.

What I'm gathering from this conversation is yes he should carry a money belt and that he should be prepared to get himself assistance in reconnecting with us as needed. I doubt that will be an issue, but accidents happen and we do like to be prepared.

Thanks to all who chimed in. Your opinions were all valuable.