Tips for Parents to keep their kids safe!
Tips for Parents to keep their kids safe by Missing Children SA
• DO NOT WAIT 24 HOURS BEFORE REPORTING YOUR CHILD MISSING!!!
• Basic safety tips: know where your child is at all times, with whom they are and always make a mental note of what your child is wearing.
• Always keep a recent photograph of your child in your purse/wallet or on you cell phone. In case of an emergency, then the photograph would be readily available.
• Know the names, addresses and numbers of all your child’s friends. Be cautious of every friend they make and make an effort getting to know your child’s friends.
• Be involved in your child’s live. Build a trusting relationship, but do not over-do it. Spend quality time with your children. Make your house a place where your child WANTS to be and also where he/she WANTS to bring his/her friends to. This way you will most of the time have
your child right under your nose and your child will feel confident to share information with you.
• Teach your children their own names, addresses as well as your name and telephone number.
• Keep your children (especially the small ones) close to home and teach all your children to NEVER EVER walk alone, but always take a friend with them. (The Buddy System) Never ever send your children to the shop or anywhere else alone.
• Get ID bracelets or other means of identification with your phone number on it. If you do not have an ID bracelet or something similar, when you go out to public places, make sure to write your telephone number on your child’s arm or somewhere visible.
• Take your children to the nearest police station/hospital/clinic and show them how to get there. Point out land marks, to prevent them from getting lost. Teach them to take the same route to and from places(school, shopping centers, friend’s house). This way when your child is
missing, you can start looking on the discussed route.
• Teach your children to make loud noises, to scream in order to attract attention when they are in trouble.
• Back to basics: teach them that they should not trust a stranger, should not accept anything from strangers or go anywhere with a stranger. Get a CODE WORD… when your child is approached by the stranger and the stranger does not know the CODE WORD, the child should
know not to trust the person.
• Parents who allow their children to have MxIT or Facebook, get a way to monitor it. Know who your child is talking to, show you are interested, familiarise yourself with the technology, the networks, slang language and always be one step ahead.
• Teach your children other important numbers for:
POLICE – 10111
CELL PHONE HELP – 112
MISSING CHILDREN SA – 072 MISSING
SAPS CRIMESTOP – 08600 10111
CHILDLINE – 08000 55 555
- Ask Ally Cohen, child safety expert for Parent24.com a question about child safety online, click here
