Protect your children..
Aug 25th, 2006 by Lillian
The John Mark Karr and Natasha Kamusch ‘cases’ are awful and disturbing aren’t they?
I thought I’d quickly look up on the internet how to protect my chidren and see if there is anything I’m doing which is dumb. I don’t want to become paranoid and controlling. We have to let our kids have some freedom, BUT there are some helpful tips to help both the child and parent feel safer. Here are some I got from this webpage.
Teach young children to…
• Recognize the difference between strangers and trusted adults. If a stranger approaches them and asks them to do something that is wrong, teach them to say "No!" and go tell a trusted adult about the stranger.
• Kick, scream and bite if a strangers tries to force them into a car. They should yell repeatedly that they’re being kidnapped so that passers-by don’t mistake their actions for a tantrum.
• Never answer the door if alone. If they are alone and they answer the phone, they should not admit to being alone or give any information like their name or address.
• Not invite anyone in the house without your permission. Also, they should not go into someone else’s house without telling you where they are.
• Never get into someone’s car without your permission. Establish rigid procedures if your child is to be picked up from school or from a friend’s house by someone else. Establish a code word and give this code word only to individuals you’ve made arrangements with to pick up your child.
• Not accept candy or gifts from or agree to go see a puppy or other animal with a stranger. Also, instruct them to tell you if someone has asked them to keep a secret from you.
• Recognize isolated locations and avoid playing there. Never wander away from the yard without letting you know where they are going.
• Come straight home from school unless other arrangements have been made. Whenever possible, walk with other children. Children who are alone are most frequently the targets of abduction.
• Move away from any car that pulls up next to them if the driver is not known. Report anyone who exposes themselves.
There is more good advice you can get on this webpage.
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All great tips for keeping your children safe. Well done for being so proactive about your children’s safety. The webpage link was very useful and I will be passing it along to friends.
I’ve always figured I’d teach Small Boy to scream like a banshee if somebody tries to get him in a car, but I never thought about teaching him to yell something about being kidnapped so that people don’t just think it’s a tantrum. That was a great tip.
Were they written like 25 years ago? Seriously, these things, I swear, kids don’t listen to 60 year old advice from people in suits. The problem with advice givers? They’ve forgotton what it’s like to be a kid.
Where are more practical things that appeal to modern kids?
1) dont’ talk to people who let you play on their PSP
2) don’t talk to people who want you to listen to their cool mp3s.
3) don’t agree to meet people who comment on your MySpace
Anyway, it’s like teaching kids not to eat worms. You can tell them a million times but, at some point, you’ll find them eating dirt. That’s life.
Him, you have a point…. let me add
4. Don’t talk to people who want to try out your phone or take a picture of you with their digital camera..
5. Don’t let your child have a webpage or blog without strict parential supervision. No names, pics or comments allowed…
6. Don’t let put pictures of your children on a webpage with names and address…
Very good tips. Its sad that our world is filled with creeps like this. Its even sadder to think about this creep running a Daycare out of his home AND comming over to Thailand and working with Children.