The migratory patterns of kids’ gear

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Kids' gear without a SwaggerTagCaribou, Atlantic Salmon and Monarch Butterflies tend to migrate predictably. Kids’ gear, however, can often be spotted in surprising and seemingly random locations. How does a pair of running shoes find its way up telephone wires? Do scooters & bikes wheel themselves miles away from home? How can that SmartPhone be forgotten on the subway when you can’t even get your kid to part from it at the dinner table?

New York City’s Transit (MTA) reports that its Lost & Found has a rotating inventory of over 160,000 items. And while kids & teens leave behind the bulk of gear, there are plenty of adults who contribute, too. Items range from a library of E-Readers & other electronics, a schoolyard of backpacks, a menagerie of stuffed animals, an orchestra of musical instruments, a hospital’s worth of medical aids and an alarming number of pairs of underwear(!?!)

Like most lost & found offices, the MTA does its best to reunite people with their lost articles, even creating an online database that’s updated hourly.

As parents, we know how easy it is for a distracted child or teen to loose track of their gear (hey, we’ve been know to be guilty of it ourselves!). And despite our warnings, threats & pleas, it happens. Sometimes we get lucky: we’re able to quickly backtrack and claim our personal effects. Other times, it doesn’t work out that way…and then everyone’s upset.

While we can’t prevent against deliberate theft, most people who come across a found item will make the effort to find out to whom it belongs, particularly if there’s identification. That said, no one’s comfortable with rifling through a bag to find that ID. Tags and labels help, but too often they unscrew, come apart, break or fade to illegible. Parents also need to balance adding ID with not wanting their child’s personal information to be on display.

So what’s a parent to do?

Get your kids’ gear SwaggerTag’ed!

Backpacks with SwaggerTag
A SwaggerTag is a mom-invented identification tag that makes it easy, safe, fun & affordable to identify everything that goes out the door. By customizing with your own image or message, they let everyone know it’s your stuff. Add your personal details to the inside and SwaggerTag reveals the information only if it’s opened. Don’t know what to add to your SwaggerTag? Check out the growing library of “Window Art” images available for free download.

Open Blue SwaggerTagMultipurpose, reliable and weather-resistant SwaggerTags personalize and help keep track of all types of gear & carrying cases:

  • school backpacks & lunch bags
  • sport duffles at games & competitions
  • diaper bags at daycare
  • electronic cases on commutes
  • luggage at airport carousels
  • extra-curricular activity totes & musical instrument cases
  • overnight and camp bags
  • can even be attached to bikes, scooters & strollers

SwaggerTags are available in 6 distinctive colors: Gecko Green, Dolphin Blue, Hot Pink, Mustang Purple, Dragon Red and Spider Grey for $3.99 each at SwaggerTag.com and other retailers in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

So whenever your herd scatters, give family gear a fighting chance to find its way home. An ounce of preservation may save a pound of angst.

P.S. – While you’re at it, pick up a few extras for yourself, as small gifts or holiday stuffers — yes, I hate bring to it up, but it is around the corner!

Guest post by Karen Walker

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