by Gaetane Borders
It
was the longest minute and a half of my life! I was distracted by a short
phone call on my cell, and averted my eyes for what seemed like a
millisecond. Yet when I looked up he was gone! I called out his
name countless times across the playground. However, I did not hear the
sound of his adorable voice responding back "Yes, Mommy!" I
frantically searched for his striped blue and white shirt in the crowd of
children. Luckily, I ultimately found him playing with a four-year-old
"friend" by the slides, but only after I aged two decades and grew a
few grey hairs.
Although my
torment lasted only a few seconds, I know that for many parents the ending is
not as happy. Can you imagine for just one second how you would feel
if your child was missing, and there was nothing that you could do to protect
them from harm? No parent should ever have to experience this. Yet an
alarming number of children are abducted each day. Statistics indicate that
every 40 seconds a child goes missing. With such startling evidence of an
epidemic, I believe it is important to help parents by sharing several
tips about how they can prevent such a tragedy from happening to their family.
The following are some things to keep in mind:
·
Don't
let your child wear clothing with his or her name on it. Children are less
likely to fear someone who knows their name. The reality is that although we
typically tell our children not to talk to strangers, children do not have a
true grasp of who can or cannot be trusted. In fact, young children often
believe that anyone who knows their name is a “friend.”
·
Never
leave your child alone in a public place, even in a locked car. Accompany a
young child to the bathroom in a public place even if they insist that they can
go by themselves. Moreover, instruct them to never play in or around public
restrooms, as pedophiles often linger in these areas.
·
Accompany
your child on door-to-door activities like Halloween and school fundraising
campaigns.
·
Keep
track of your children's Internet activity. Share email accounts and passwords.
Make sure you know what sites they visit, and if they meet anyone suspicious
while online. If possible, only allow computers to be in common areas such as a
den or kitchen. This will make it easier to monitor internet usage.
·
Avoid
having service people come to the home if your children are there alone.
Remember, these individuals are considered strangers!
·
Establish
a "code word" or phrase with your children. For example, tell them
that they are only allowed to go with a person who knows this secret word or
phrase if they were to pick them up from school. This will allow your child to
know that this is a trusted person.
·
Establish
safe houses where your child can go if in trouble. A safe house can be the home
of a trusted friend or some other trusted individual in the neighborhood who
agrees to let children make emergency calls.
·
Teach
them that the police are their friends and that they can rely on them if they
are in trouble. Make sure they know to dial 911 or 0 if they need assistance.
These
are just a few simple ways that parents can help to protect their children. The
key is to make sure that as parents, we vigilantly supervise our children
because it only takes a second for misfortune to happen. If you have not
already done so, make sure to visit http://www.familywatchdog.us/
to see what pedophiles are living in your community. Make sure to look at
the site frequently because it is updated regularly. You definitely need to know who in your
community preys on your children!
Happy...and
Safe Parenting
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