DEAR MR. DAD: Our son is about 32 months old, and we are beginning to travel with him more frequently. Do you have any suggestions for the best way to “ID” a child?

Answer: Thanks for your e-mail. I understand exactly what you’re talking about. There are some products out there that are designed to help ID kids, but in most cases the assumption is that the ID will be made after a child is kidnapped or worse. For example, I’ve seen kits where ID numbers are etched into the children’s teeth, DNA kits where you take a small sample now and it gets catalogued in a database for later ID, and fingerprint kits.

In addition, these ID kits don’t really do anything to keep your child from disappearing to begin with – and that’s what’s really important. As basic as this sounds, the only way to guarantee that you won’t lose your child is to be extremely careful. Never turn your back, even for a second, particularly in crowded or unfamiliar places.

It’s not too early to start talking with your child about not walking away without telling you, about not talking to or accepting gifts from strangers, unless you’re right there. Don’t try to scare him with stories of kidnappers and danger – he won’t understand it. Just leave it at “Mommy and Daddy get scared when you run away without telling us.”

I’m not a big believer in leashes for children – it seems awfully demeaning to everyone involved. But if your son is a real scrambler, you might want to consider one of the products out there that is essentially a tether between you and him, at least while you’re in very crowded places such as airports or shopping malls.

Armin Brott is the author of many best-selling books on fatherhood. His new DVD, “Toolbox for New Dads,” has just been released. You can find out more about it and Armin’s other resources for fathers at www.mrdad.com or by emailing [email protected]. Try DaddyCast, his new, twice-weekly podcast (http://www.mrdad.com/daddycast)