Stranger Danger

Stranger Danger

   The Title of this page is not to scare anyone but it is to make everyone aware that it is a problem. I want you to be aware that this danger is everywhere from your yard to the park or even the school. We should all be alert of the dangers around us at all times. I am going to highlight some of the main things that we can do to prevent something from happening that puts us in a scary situation.

   First thing that I would like us kids to do is to sit down with our parents/guardians and make a secret word/phrase or sentence. This shouldn't be something that is easy for someone to guess so don't use the words like password or the child's name etc. Strange words/phrases/sentences work the best for instance something like "why did the bush tree have leaves?". I know it sounds really weird but who is going to guess that? Now this is really important to remember. The best way to remember is to practice, practice and practice. So anytime your parent/guardian picks you up from anywhere you should use this word/phrase/sentence that you chose even though you know who it is so that you always remember it. Now whenever ANYONE picks you up from School, Dance, Football, Soccer etc. you use this word/phrase/sentence even if its a family friend cause then you know that your parent/guardian sent this person to pick you up.

   Us kids should never believe that someone we don't know knows us just because they know our name. They could have heard one of our friends say it or it could be on a name tag or sewed onto a hat or backpack etc. We should never help anyone that asks us to help find their puppy or get into a car with anyone that says they have a prize, candy, toy or any other thing. If you see an Ice-cream truck coming down the street and you really really want one you should always go to your Parent/Guardian to get permission and have them go out with you to the vehicle to get one *also see my street safety*. Don't at any time just go get the money out of your piggy bank and go buy one by yourself because that is also a stranger. A stranger is anyone you don't know or even someone you know just cause you seen them once or twice, it doesn't mean you know them it just means that you seen them and they to should be viewed as a stranger and you should be with your parent or guardian.

  Now if you ever are approached by someone that does not know your secret word/phrase/sentence then you should go to an adult like your teacher, coach, dance instructor or police officer and tell them what is going on. If the person that approached you that doesn't know your secret word/phrase/sentence starts to follow you, you should run and be loud (scream if you need to) to draw attention to yourself and go to that adult that I mentioned just a minute ago. The teacher, coach, dance instructor will have emergency contact information for your parent/guardian or a list of emergency numbers that they gave them just in case and they will make sure you stay safe until the situation is resolved.

  If we follow these simple tips we can all be a little safer when it comes to the dangers of strangers. We should practice these techniques all the time and share these with our friends and families until everyone we know are practicing the same great safety tips so we can make this a safer place for all of us.

  Keep an up to date Child Identification Card. This is very important and can be very beneficial if you ever are put in that horrible situation that your child ends up missing. You can find free Identification kits locally (could be challenging but it can be done) or you can get one downloaded from https://secure.tmidata.com/klaaskids/pg-idkit.htm. (if link stops working please let me know I will find more) Please follow the instructions, including the weight of the paper as this will ensure you have a great identification card for your child. Fingerprint ink can normally be found at your office supply stores such as Office Depot, Staples etc. If you need help finding anything let me know. There are also photo Id's that you can get for your children as well.

Here is a great video to teach your child different scenario's of what can happen 

and how to react to each one!

 

   I found a few things that might help you with your child and keeping an eye on them. I will post them here with a description of what it is. Keep in mind these are just a couple of items that I looked into. There are plenty more items out there that will do the same thing, some could be better then these. I do research what I list and list only the ones that I find with the best reviews by other customers since I myself have never used them.

Mommy I'm Here

This device is for those of you that have younger children that aren't worried about your child walking to and from school as much as you are about them getting out of your line of site at a park or a play area at a restaurant. This device will sound an alarm if your child goes more then 25 feet away from you and works up to 150 feet. The way that it works is one piece fits on Mom/Dads key-chain and the other piece can be attached to the child's shoe/belt/backpack etc. Don't worry if you put it on the child's shoes as it is water resistant and long lasting. The link below is for a blue one but it does come in pink and brown as well.

Spot Satellite GPS Messenger UnitThis device is for those of us that have children that we cant be with at all times. This device is great it will track every move you do. It has special features on it such as a check in button and a 911 button. Its GPS makes it easy to track down your loved one using Google Maps. It is very resistant to most weather conditions and is waterproof. *Note* According to some of the reviews the 911 and check in buttons don't always work and the device is best used outdoors for those options to function. I also am not sure if there is a monthly charge or how much it would be but most GPS devices do carry a monthly plan. This is one of the lower cost GPS devices that are small enough to fit in your pocket or in a backpack making it easy to have on you at all times.




Cell PhonesOne of the cheapest ways for an older child would probably be their cell phone if they have one. A lot of cell phones now days have GPS on them that you can have activated so that you can keep up to speed on where your child is.
   The reason I bring up the GPS systems is not to necessarily spy on your child as much as to find them if something does happen. If they can have something like the SPOT or a Cell phone tucked into their pocket when they are taken away they can easily reach into their pocket and activate it or if it is already activated like the spot you can hone in on where they are for a speedy recovery of your child. 
   If your child has a cell phone you can have a police speed dial number that they can use and if they can reach it while the phone is in their pocket, they can call the police and start screaming about where they are like "Why are you driving my past Delta Bowling Lanes on 1600 Street?" and keep saying where they are even if GPS Is not active on the phone. All of these options can be valuable if used properly. Please if you take anything away from this blog at all, teach your kids the safety tips, techniques and practice, role play with them all the time as it is very important. 
   Please share your thoughts and opinions on this as well. I am sure there is so much more that can be added that I don't know, forgot or couldn't find. Thank you so much for reading. Take care.
 Remember to join the site by using the "Join" button on the right and invite your friends and family. The more people we reach the more lives we can possibly save. Thanks again everyone!!!