Suppose, despite all of your warnings and lectures about strangers, your child was approached and grabbed by a stranger? Have you prepared your child for this worst case scenario? As a parent, you don’t want to think of your child ever being put in this situation, but your child’s reaction could mean the difference between you seeing them again or possible death for the child.
When you are discussing “stranger danger” with your child, please clarify your child’s perception of what a “stranger” is to them. You may be surprised as to their description and perception of strangers. A group of school aged children were asked to describe what a stranger was and their answers ranged from someone who is skinny, or tall, is ugly, is fat, is short, etc.. Not many children said, “Someone I don’t know or my parents don’t know.”
Even more disturbing, was a poll done at a children’s expo, where dozens of parents were asked if they had discussed what actions their child should take if grabbed by a stranger. Not ONE parent had discussed this possibility with their child! NOT ONE!! Parents just can’t phantom the thought of something like this ever happening to their precious children. And by the grace of God, hopefully it never will! But, wouldn’t you as a parent, feel better if you know you had prepared your child for EVERY possible scenario?
Please teach your child this one simple move, and you may help them avoid becoming a victim if they are ever faced with this dilemma. Tell your child if they are grabbed, to drop like a sack of potatoes, stay down on their back like a crab and keep their legs kicking towards their attacker. While on the ground and kicking, the child should scream at the top of their lungs, “THIS IS NOT MY FATHER/MOTHER! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!” By screaming this again and again it will garner the attention of surrounding adults as not just another kid having a temper tantrum and make it nearly impossible for the attacker to pick them up and cart them away. Think about…have you every tried to pick up a screaming two or three-year old laying on the floor having a temper tantrum and kicking? They are dead weight and impossible to control. Any child predator is more likely to run away and leave the child as this scene is attracting too much attention and too much trouble. Child predators like to escape unnoticed and neatly. This technique is also useful for women or anyone for that matter to avoid an attack or attempted kidnapping.
Parents must keep the lines of communication open and continually talk to their children about safety and being aware of their surrounding. With the technological world we are living in, kids are too distracted when out in public with their headphones on listening to their iPods or walking and texting. You must stress to them the importance of looking around and being present in the moment.
Always remember – “Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail”.
Until the next time….
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