Nothing strikes fear in a parent’s heart, like realizing their child is missing. It happened to Krista Piper Grundey, 36, on a recent trip to a play place with her 2 kids. The good news is she was able to locate her daughter quickly because she kept calm and remembered a viral TikTok hack from 3 years ago.
She was with her children in a play place that “runs the entire length of a giant science museum,” she said in her viral TikTok video.
“So I end up going the opposite direction of where she actually ended up. So I thought she didn’t go past me, so she must have gone to a water table or something because she loves water. She wasn’t down there, so at that point, I’m starting to panic,” Grundey revealed.
Grundey then grabbed her son and went to find the young girl.
@krista.piper I lost my 3 year old todah in a play place and thank god for tiktok – I’m so happy i saw that tiktok of what to do when your kid goes missing. I found her fast by raising my voice and saying a description of what she was wearing. Should have added her age or hair color but the description if little girl with pink minnie mouse shirt got thr job done finding her. #parents #parentsoftiktok #playplace
She called out her daughter’s name to try to get her attention, but then she had a light bulb moment. She remembered a TikTok she had seen over a year ago. “It was of a mom that had lost her kid in, I believe, a grocery store, and instead of yelling out the kid’s name, she yelled out the description of what the child was wearing and she was able to find her kid way faster,” she said.
She began yelling, “Little girl, pink Minnie Mouse shirt!” Other moms began repeating the description, and one of them found her.
“Hopefully, this reaches other parents that, if you are in the situation, should out your kid’s description. You will find them faster,” Grundey said.
This isn’t the first woman who’s gone viral for using the hack. Two years ago, Upworthy highlighted a woman in New Zealand who lost her son in a department store but was able to locate him because she remembered the parenting hack.
When the woman realized her two-year-old son Nathan was missing, she said it was the “scariest 10 minutes of my life.”
But then she remembered a parenting hack she saw on TikTok by blogger Jess Martini. “If your child goes missing, screw the stares and start calling out their description,” the mother recalled.
“I’m missing a little boy. He’s wearing a yellow shirt and has brown hair. He’s two years old and his name is Nathan!” she called out to the rest of the store and her son was located almost immediately.
The lost-child hack became popular after a TikTok video posted by Jess Martini in 2021.
PSA that I feel can save kids and I’ve used- if your child goes missing in public
@jesmartini PSA that I feel can save kids and I’ve used- if your child goes missing in public #momsoftiktok #PSA #nojudgement #fyp #4up #besafe #parentsoftiktok
“To all parents out there, if your child goes missing, do not search in silence or just call out their name,’ Martini says in the video. “Shout out loud and clear. Say they’re missing, give a description and repeat, repeat, repeat!”
“Everyone will be on alert, and if someone is trying to take off with your kid, it will decrease the chances of them getting away,” she added.
These stories are a great reminder to always remember what your child is wearing when you’re out and about with them. That way you can quickly describe how to find them if they ever wander off. These stories are also a heartwarming reminder that when a parent needs assistance, there are always kind-hearted people are ready to help.