I previously posted about my scary moment of Hide and Seek with my toddler at a store. We couldn’t find her for a few minutes and it seemed like an eternity. This prompted me to research more about how to keep my child safe and I came across a few websites that gave detailed tips to follow. Here is an edited version of some tips:
- Keep the following records updated in a safe place: Custody papers, photographs of your child, height and weight, description of your child’s scars and birthmarks, dental records, fingerprints and passports.
- Parents with children that are allowed to go to a friend’s house should follow this protocol: Know the names, addresses and phone numbers of your children’s friends and their parents. Have your child tell you where they will be and to tell you when they are coming home.
- Give children a the list of people they have permission to go with and that they must tell you before going with someone not on the list.
- If you are a divorced parent get a clear custody order that specifies visitation rights clearly, and know the non-custodial parent’s social security number, date of birth, current address and employment. Also let your child know if that parent is in the safe list, and when they are allowed to go with that parent.
- Explain to children what a “STRANGER†is and what they look like. Also teach them not to speak to strangers and don’t put your children’s names on the outside of their belongings.
- Discuss abduction prevention strategies with children without the fear factor and approach them with the issues of abduction the same way you approach them with fire or earthquake safety.
- Encourage dialogue about their feelings, how their day went and what people they encountered. This will help you assess any potentially dangerous situations they have encountered.
- Teach children to keep a safe distance away from strangers and strangers’ cars even if they seem like nice people. Also if they need to, they must run in the direction opposite of what the stranger’s car is facing.
- Check that the school has a callback policy if the child does not arrive to school within thirty minutes when the child is expected in school.
- If your child is old enough to stay home alone, teach them to never convey they are alone if a stranger calls the house phone and never open the door to a stranger. They can just brush them off by saying “Mom and Dad can’t come to the phone/door right now.â€
- Children computer usage must be monitored. Keep an eye on what they are doing in the computer and teach them that it is not safe to give their last name, address, or phone number to a person on the Internet. Children must understand that meeting Internet friends in person without a parent’s supervision is not safe.
- At last Review your safety rules regularly. Test your children’s understanding of the rules with questions like, “What would you do if your bicycle broke and a neighbor offered you a ride home?â€
For additional and detailed tips check out http://kidshealth.org.