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What's The Best Way To Keep My Kids Safe And Secure - The Common Sense Approach?

 
 
Photo of a mom with her son and daughter sitting on the grass in a park on a beautiful sunny day smiling and laughing into the camera.
 

Let's face it! Keeping our kids safe and secure at all times is the top priority for all parents and it does not matter how old they are or where they are. Kids are never too old for their parents to worry about.

If you are a parent of kids who are younger than high school age then this article is primarily for you. This is not to say that the tips here cannot be used for your older kids. These are the very basic and common sense tips for you to build upon.

Too often, parents do not take the time to communicate with their kids about how to know when their safety and security are in danger and accordingly kids often fail to let their parents know when they are in trouble.

On the flip side of the coin, parents often fail to detect the warning signs and by the time they do so it is a bit too late. So how do we correct this and enable kids and parents to recognize the more obvious signs?

It all starts with parents teaching good habits to their kids. Remember now; we are living in a rapidly evolving technological era and our objective is to help our kids to stay one step ahead of the predators.

There are two parts to our tips. Tips for the home and tips for outside the home.

Safety and Security Tips for the Home:

  1. If you are forced to leave your kids at home for any length of time then you need to leave them in the company of someone older and responsible.

  2. Coach your kids that if they answer the phone, they should say that you are presently unavailable and that the caller should call back. They should never tell a caller that you are not at home.

  3. If the doorbell rings they should never open the door but instead ask who is it and then if they do not know who it is they should tell them that you are presently occupied and that they should return later.

  4. You should give your kids a list of those who they can open the door to. It is best to write down this list and stick it on your fridge door or some other place where it can easily be seen by your kids.

  5. Absolutely! Never allow your kids to surf the Internet if you are not at home with them.

  6. Do not leave any cell phones in their possession while you are away from home or if you see the need to do so make sure to tell them that they are only to use the cell phone in case of an emergency.

  7. Leave a number with them where they can easily reach you and familiarize them with the 911 phone number. Stick these numbers on your door of your fridge or in a place where they can easily see them.

Safety and Security Tips for Outside the Home:

  1. Coach your kids to never respond to strangers or to wander off with them.

  2. Tell them that they should never go off into a deserted area. Instead, they should stay in areas in the company of others.

  3. Give them a cell phone but tell them that it is only to be used if they need to reach you or anyone else that you designate for them to call in case of an emergency.

  4. Teach them to never get into a vehicle with a stranger and only with those you tell them that they can do so with.

  5. Tell them that they should never leave the premises unless they get permission from either you or their teachers.

  6. Teach them that they should not accept any sort of food, drink, or snack from someone they do not know.

  7. Coach them on the dangers of drinking alcohol and smoking.

Use these tips to build a solid foundation for you and your kids. Here are some resources to get you started.

Find out how to beef up your home security and keep children safe:
http://www.corneredcat.com/article/kids-and-guns/safe-storage-around-children/

How to Keep Your Children Safe. Teach Children to be Security Conscious:
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/11/how-to-keep-kids-safe-online-children-advice

How do I keep my children safe online? What the security experts tell their kids:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Internet-Security-Guide-Participating-ebook/dp/B00RI2V566

 
Author Donna Jodhan Initials. DJ.


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www.donnajodhan.com