KEEPING your Children safe is synonymous with parenting and with human tracking on the rise, I have become a lot more aware of my surroundings. This has also influenced where I take my kids, and how I interact with other adults, in public. Educating my kids about “stranger danger”, and what to do if someone grabs them, is a priority for me. It hurts my heart just to think about it! But the onus is on us, parents, to teach our kids that some adults may not have good intentions.
Here are a few tips that I’ve gathered from a couple of reputable online sources, in order to keep our children safe:
1. When out in public always keep an eye on your children. Stay close to your little ones. Put your phone down and inspect your surroundings.
2. Teach your kids that it’s okay to be rude to an adult when they don’t feel safe. This includes shouting “NO!” and “STOP!” when they are feeling compromised.
3. If your kid is a social butterfly, who may be comfortable talking to strangers, teach them that it is NOT OKAY to go anywhere with a stranger, without mommy or daddy’s direct permission. Children are generally very trusting and yes, they need to be taught this.
4. Have your child practice their screaming, should they be in trouble. Have them take a deep breath and let out their loudest, deepest, most annoying “yelp”.
5. Should your little one disappear in a mall or public setting, begin shouting out their name and what they are wearing. Ask passersby to do the same and pass it on. At this point, everyone in the vicinity will know that the child is missing and what the child is wearing, thus drawing attention to the child, and hopefully swaying the perpetrator.
Resources: Protecting your child from human trafficking, Protecting your child from sex trafficking, Protecting your kids from abduction
Luchae Williams is a multi-award-winning parenting blogger and mom of 5. Her Blog My Spreadsheet Brain focuses on parenting, marriage and faith with a healthy dose of Humour. Luchae is also one of the founders and hosts of #ECMeetUp – an annual bloggers conference held in the Eastern Cape. Follow her on Instagram Facebook TikTok
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