Keeping your children and teenagers safe during travels

Experts advise starting conversations with children about safety about a week before a journey, taking a family photo at the start of each day, and labelling bags and clothes. Photo: Weston Wei/The New York Times

A few months ago, my family was in the crowded Brussels Airport. Though I’d put an AirTag in my then seven-year-old daughter’s knapsack, made a bracelet with our contact information and even taught her my phone number to the tune of Happy Birthday To You, I had a sudden fear of what might happen if we were separated. What would she do? What would we do?

I tried to do the right things, but there are other measures a family can take before and during a trip to help keep children safe. Here are a few.