Let me start by saying that no one was hurt in the process of said emergency, but I was in a bit of a helpless situation and it was scary!

I decided to take my two boys to Horseneck Beach, so we packed our cooler, a few beach supplies, and we were off. I was feeling pretty confident managing a 4- and 2-year-old on my own, and everyone was laughing and jumping in the waves… until IT happened. My prescription glasses were knocked off my face, into the surf — GONE!

I stood there in a complete blur, no longer legal to drive, and alone with my children nowhere near home. I felt the panic wash over me. In that moment, a thousand things went through my head. What was I thinking not wearing contact lenses? Why didn’t I bring my backup pair of glasses? Good Lord, why didn’t I invite friends to join us?!

But I followed these few steps to get us home safely, and while some are specific to my particular incident, I hope these tips can help you to stay calm and collected should you ever face your own mom emergency!

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Remain calm

Easier said than done, right? Briefly acknowledge the terror that is the moment at hand, then refocus! If you panic, the kids will too — and that helps no one. That said, it is important for them to understand that something has happened — listening ears need to be on, and it’s time to get serious. Remind them things will be OK, and Mom’s got this!

Enlist the help of your kids

My boys are 4 and 2, and not always the best at listening and following directions. On this day, they were on their best behavior! They see me in glasses every day, and they understood that this important part of me had disappeared. I sent them out of the water but where I could still visualize them, then I searched and failed to recover my frames. I explained to them that mommy could not see, and it was very important for us to hold hands and stay together — and they were amazing! Instructions should be short, sweet, and somewhat stern. Include the kids in the process so you can work together!

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Call for reinforcements

A very important part of this advice is that you have your fully charged cell phone with you! We all want a low-key, screen-free day outdoors, but let’s face it — you have little kids, and s…t happens. You need your phone! Cell phones are a modern convenience that can be annoying, but in an emergency we can all take a moment to appreciate just how lucky we are that they exist. Fortunately, on the day of my emergency my husband was only half an hour away and was with a friend who could drop him off to rescue his stranded wife and kids. Most outings are uneventful, but since this time we had a hiccup I now feel it’s pretty important for someone to know where I am when I’m taking the kids on an outing. You just never know when you might need help!

Get help from other adults nearby

It’s tough for me to ask for help. I can usually take care of things myself, and I briefly felt as though I had this one until I realized I couldn’t see clearly and I had beach gear and two kids! I could not go this alone! There were other families nearby, but I didn’t feel that interrupting another family’s day would be helpful, as it would just add another helpless mom to the scenario. I decided to head straight to the lifeguard station, and they were outstanding! They were ready and willing to help as soon as I explained my problem. They took a description of my car, asked me if I could remember where I had parked, and helped me load my kids and gear into their beach truck.

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In the grand scheme of things this was a minor emergency, and once dad arrived we were driven home safe and sound. I learned that my boys can both understand and follow my directions and are pretty great in a crisis. I also learned that it’s important to play it cool, ask for help, and keep a backup pair of glasses on me at all times!

How have you made it through a mom emergency?