Missing 3-Year-Old Located Speedily By Mom Who Used ‘Looking Loudly’ Approach

May 02, 2023 by apost team

When one mother lost her child on a trip out to a play place, her instincts kicked in, and she quickly began scouring the area. However, a lightbulb went off in her head, and she recalled a TikTok video she had seen in which a mother had advised parents in search of their missing children to instead use the "looking loudly" method to find them.

In September 2021, mom of three Jess Martini shared a video on TikTok in which she encouraged parents to use the "looking loudly" approach and not to feel shy or embarrassed about it when in public. She said the method could lead some parents or guardians to feel self-conscious and awkward but that it was always "better to look stupid than to be sorry."

Martini said the most important thing was to be loud when looking for your kids.

"Our first instinct is to shout our child's name. But if you're in public, that's not helpful," she said, adding instead, you should begin shouting a description of your child, such as hair color, age and clothes. 

"Our instinct is to start quietly looking for our kid but we want as many people to start looking for that kid because best case scenario, somebody sees your kid and can alert you and knows to bring that child back to you. Worst case scenario, somebody is walking away with your kid and they're much more likely to let them go because they don't want that kind of commotion around," she explained.

It's clear that word about the "looking loudly" approach has gotten out, as mom Krista Piper remembered and used it to great effect during a terrifying moment of panic.

In a bid to create more awareness about the "looking loudly" method, mom Piper shared a video on TikTok recounting her ordeal at a play place she had gone to with a friend of her children. She said she was talking to her friend while trying to keep an eye on her 3-year-old daughter when she lost sight of her. In panic mode, she began calling her daughter's name before remembering the "looking loudly" method.

"So that is what I did. I stopped calling out her name, and I started yelling, 'little girl, pink shirt, pink Minnie Mouse shirt!'… I'm sure people thought that I was a little crazy, she was probably only missing for like a minute, to maybe a minute and a half, but for me, it felt like eternity," she shared.

Piper said other parents around her began shouting the same description of her daughter until one woman eventually found her.

"If you ever lose your child, or dog or anything, yell out their description, raise your voice. You know, I probably looked like a crazy person, but it got the job done," Piper remarked.

Users came together in the comments to praise Piper for her quick thinking. 

"As a mom if I hear someone yelling a name probably don't think much of it but yelling a description is like a call to action to moms!" one user said while another wrote, "something about the other moms repeating it just made me burst into tears."

A third comment read, "I knew immediately what you were talking about. It's a genius tactic," as another said, "Genius and I'm so glad u found her safely ❤️. No judgement on losing sight of her, they are crafty little creatures 😆❣️"

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What are your thoughts on the mom's quick thinking? Has a similar incident ever happened to you? Let us know, and don't forget to pass this on to friends and family and spread the word on the "looking loudly" method.