CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- When you're out doing that holiday shopping, there might be times when you'll have the kids with you at crowded stores, and it can be a struggle to make sure they don't wander off.

NewsCenter 5's Rhondella Richardson reported Thursday that there's a local mom on a mission to help you keep your children safe.

For little ones, the mall can look like a maze -- clothing racks and dressing rooms can be as appealing as a playground.

"It could be three seconds and you turn around and your heart starts palpitating. You think someone has taken the child. More then likely, they are under a rack hiding, or they went off to see something fun," Wander Wear CEO Alyssa Dver said.

Wander Wear features identification tags that children wear. The tags have a place on which parents can write cell phone numbers. The company uses a purple monster character in a new safety book.

"We were trying to come up with a name that not only would a child find entertaining, but kind of represented a devilish-toddler type. The idea of a whizzing-around monster stuck with a lot of people," Dver said.

There are some steps parents can take. Carry a recent photo of your child. Teach your child to ask another mother for help if they become separated from you because it can be hard for kids to find security guards.

If your child is lost and then found, don't yell when he or she returns.

Product Information:

Wander-Wear.com