Looking loudly: This TikTok hack helped a mum find her missing child in just minutes

Rear view of a young girl walking through a corn field

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 18 April 2023

A mom who lost her daughter in a public play area used the 'looking loudly' technique to find her child in a matter of minutes.

Losing a child in a busy public place is a constant fear for many parents, and while your first reaction might be to call out their name, one mom on TikTok has shared a much more effective way of looking for straying children.

Wedding photographer Krista Piper recently posted a TikTok explaining she had taken her daughter to a "huge" kids' play area with lots of "little nooks and crannies" when she lost sight of her.

Krista said "thank God for TikTok", as she revealed that she had come across the 'looking loudly' method in a video another mom has posted on the platform after losing her child in a supermarket.

The 'looking loudly' technique involves shouting a description of your child - whether that's what their wearing or their hair color - rather than just their name, to help other members of the public identify them too.

Krista explained in her TikTok, "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."

@krista.piper
♬ original sound - Krista | Booktok | Home life

She went on to say that after shouting a description of her daughter, she began to hear other moms repeating the same thing, and it wasn't long before someone spotted her.

Krista said: "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."

She wrote in the caption, "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."

Social media users were quick to praise the hack in the comments, with one writing, "this is so smart 👏👏 im glad you found her quick, we've all been there."

Others shared further tips for using the 'looking loudly' technique, with one revealing, "I take a picture when we go to crowded places just incase I forget what she's wearing." Another said, "I take a picture when we go to crowded places just incase I forget what she's wearing."

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Ellie is GoodtoKnow’s Family News Editor and covers all the latest trends in the parenting world - from relationship advice and baby names to wellbeing and self-care ideas for busy mums. Ellie is also an NCTJ-qualified journalist and has a distinction in MA Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and a first-class degree in Journalism from Cardiff University. Previously, Ellie has worked with BBC Good Food, The Big Issue, and the Nottingham Post, as well as freelancing as an arts and entertainment writer alongside her studies. When she’s not got her nose in a book, you’ll probably find Ellie jogging around her local park, indulging in an insta-worthy restaurant, or watching Netflix’s newest true crime documentary.