- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preschoolers today articles
- preschoolers today q&a
- children today articles
- children today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Staying Safe
Empower Your Children Today
By Jill Weinlein
Abductions of children throughout the country have caused widespread fear among parents and children. It's a similar fear we all had when the images of planes crashing into the World Trade Center and people fleeing from crumbling buildings were displayed in newspapers and television screens. How do we protect our families? How do we talk comfortably with our children about unthinkable acts?
The best time to talk to them is now, especially with children going back to school. Dr. Amy Demner, a licensed psychotherapist in Coral Springs, Fla., urges parents to use age-appropriate and simple words. "Assure your children that you are not trying to scare them, but helping to teach them to be safe and live a long life."
As a parent of a 7-year-old daughter, I gathered as much information as I could by going to my local police department, searching the Internet, reading books and consulting experts. Afterward, I felt I could intelligently sit down with my daughter and empower her with safety information to help prevent a tragedy from happening in my family.
A survey released by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found that nearly one in 10 parents have never discussed safety tips outside their home. One in five have never developed a plan of action if someone tries to abduct their child.
Dangers do exist, but by following these guidelines with your children, hopefully they will avoid or escape from potentially dangerous situations:
- Don't put your children's names on backpacks, shirts or school lunches. You don't want a predator to call your child by name.
Want to see more?
Comments
Found 1 comment
Displaying all 1 comments below
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||
Amber Alerts by anonymous on 08/13/2009 05:48PM
It always breaks my heart to see an Amber Alert posted.