Stranger Danger
I never realized how much keeping my children safe would be on my mind when I became a parent. It is the number one thing on any parents mind, but it seems like every news show I put on, or every magazine has something dedicated to a abducted child. According to www.kidsave.com seventy five percent of all abductions are committed by a family member or friend of the family. So maybe we should be talking to our kids about stranger abductions as well as if a acquaintance tried to take them.
Here are some tips to keep your kids safe:
The Buddy System- never be alone or in a position that anyone could take them without anyone seeing. Walk home with a friend, go to the park in a group etc.
Adults Do Not Need Help- This is my husband’s favorite piece of advice to all kids. Adults never need the help of a child. If they are missing a dog, or need help doing something they can ask another adult.
Run- Never get in the car with a stranger. If someone tries to grab you by your jacket try to get out of the jacket. If someone grabs your wrist, swing your arm in a rotating motion. Scream. Never go anywhere with a stranger.
Use Your Body- Scream “stranger” at the top of your lungs. Fight back, scratch, kick and bite. Anything to make a scene.
Talking to your children about “stranger danger” depends on their age. You want to give them a little bit a knowledge young but not enough to scare them.
Maybe get your child a prepaid cellphone to keep in touch or for emergency use. Never write their name ont eh ourside of clothing or bookbags, so strangers can’t see their name.
What tips do you have for keeping your kids safe?
keeping kids safe, stranger danger, child abductions, parenting, parenting children, school age children, tweens, teens, kids, families
November 7th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Great tips! Even though i’m not a mother yet I am always so conscious about strangers when I take my girlfriends daughter out with me, it’s a sad testament to mankind that these things have to be worried about at all.
November 7th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
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