What Is a ‘Crossbody Bag Mom’? Why Parents Are Making Trend Go Viral
August 1, 2024
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Wearing a crossbody bag is not just a practical style choice—it now comes with a big responsibility.
Word is spreading far and wide on the internet that if a child is lost, they should seek out a woman with a crossbody bag, with the idea that this type of person is helpful and trustworthy.
Erin Monroe, 38, shared the moment that she was a crossbody bag mom for a little girl who was lost in the museum on TikTok.
Monroe, from upstate New York, told Newsweek that her definition of a crossbody bag mom means you’re hands-free and ready to help.
A woman is seen wearing a crossbody bag. Erin Monroe, 38, stepped up to the role of a crossbody mom when a little girl—who was lost—approached her in a museum. A woman is seen wearing a crossbody bag. Erin Monroe, 38, stepped up to the role of a crossbody mom when a little girl—who was lost—approached her in a museum. ASphotowed
“It meant a lot to me that she picked me as a safe person to help her,” Monroe told Newsweek. “All I could think is, what if she were mine? I’d want a stranger to help her feel safe and help her find her people.”
So, why a crossbody bag? Psychotherapist Diane Botta told Newsweek that women who don crossbody bags may be seen as organized and prepared.
“Because crossbody bags are generally considered to be more practical than fashionable, they may be a good signifier regarding an individual who might be willing and able to provide help,” she said.
These bags also typically contain essential items like phones, wallets, snacks and even first-aid supplies, making the carrier potentially well-equipped to help a lost child.
“While there are certainly plenty of responsible and kind women and men who are not parents and who may not be wearing a crossbody bag that would be able to help, for the sake of efficiency, telling children to look for a ‘crossbody bag mom’ could be an effective way for parents to teach their kids to zero in on someone practical in the event of an emergency,” Botta added.
A lost child cries at a train station in this stock image. Dr. Jenny Woo told Newsweek that the idea that children should seek help from women wearing crossbody bags when lost isn’t always sound,… A lost child cries at a train station in this stock image. Dr. Jenny Woo told Newsweek that the idea that children should seek help from women wearing crossbody bags when lost isn’t always sound, as it could “delay your child’s ability to get immediate help.”
Yanukit Raiva
Despite the guidance from fellow parents for their children to seek out a mom wearing a crossbody bag, it may delay the process of them finding timely help, said Dr. Jenny Woo, educator, emotional intelligence expert and founder and CEO of Mind Brain Emotion.
“Adding this limiting requirement to finding help may delay your child’s ability to get immediate help,” she told Newsweek. “Picture your lost child roaming farther and farther in order to spot not just a mom, but a mom with a specific style of purse.”
She added that this narrow focus could cause the child to miss cues and dangers in their surroundings and advised it could be a missed opportunity for the child to ask for help from a store employee or a police officer.
“We also need to be wary of relying on viral and fashion trends for kids’ security. Posers could take advantage of these trends for inappropriate intentions,” she added.
Instead, Woo advises parents teach their children how to stay calm, how to seek out a trustworthy adult, and what to say to ask for help.
“By equipping our kids with these essential life skills, we can help them stay safe and confident in various settings,” she said.
Monroe told Newsweek that it meant a lot to her that the little girl picked her as a safe person, adding that the reaction to her TikTok video has been “so positive.”
“It’s really reassuring that so many people have commented how they would love to be the one to help a child,” she said. “I think it shows we really are the village for each other. We need to be out here treating all kids as our own and I think people are showing they are doing that.”
If you have a parenting dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Uncommon Knowledge
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