Child Safety Outside the Home

Stranger Danger

Help your children realize the potential dangers that some strangers represent. Help them define what exactly a stranger is, and when interaction with strangers is acceptable and when they should feel alarmed. If they should feel alarmed, instruct them to run, yell and tell.

Let them know the various techniques strangers use to lure young children away: asking the child to help find a lost or hurt animal, offering gifts, asking directions, etc. Teach your child to keep a safe distance from strangers and to ask for help from other adults should a stranger approach them. If a stranger should try to grab them, teach your children to make as much commotion as they can: scream, kick or bite to get the attention of other adults. The book Child Safety 101, written by a former police officer, offers parents safety tips to help protect children from dangerous situations.

Sex Offenders in Your Neighborhood?

Safety starts with a parent’s vigilance. Do you know whether sex offenders live in your neighborhood? Having this key information will make all the difference in how you instruct your children to avoid strangers, especially known sex offenders. By joining the National Alert Registry, you will be alerted to the names, addresses, physical description or color photographs, offense dates and details, and even name aliases of sex offenders living around you. Remember, knowledge is your most powerful weapon against harm; knowing about sex offenders will allow you to instruct and protect your child.

The Importance of ID

When you go out into crowds, make sure your child is wearing I.D. Unfortunately, only 2% of reported missing kids are wearing identification. Special I.D. bracelets are ideal for use at public events - if a child wanders away, authorities are aided in their search. Shoe stickers are also useful for easing the fear of concerned parents.

Always remember to rear your child in an environment that supports a cautious but not overly fearful outlook on life. While it's important that you always remain vigilant about your child's safety, constant worry and a fearful outlook will negatively impact your child's physical and psychological health.

Recommended Products
My Precious Kids has a large selection of child safety products that can help you protect your child. Their Child Safety Pack Plus holds 11 items including a DNA Fingerprint Kit, Tooth print Dental Impression Kit, Medical Release Form Pouch and ID Stickers for your child. They also offer a Kid ID Scope: it's a nickel-sized pendant that your child can wear on her backpack, coat zipper, shoe or wrist. Inside, a microfilm plug provides confidential medical and emergency information pertaining to your child - and it can all be easily read through the pendant's magnifying lens.

GeneTree offers DNA identification kits plus confidential banking services. Combining fingerprint, photographic, digital and DNA profiling, this is one of the most advanced identification systems in the world. DNA banking has proved invaluable for parents adopting newborn children, for identifying missing persons and even as a precautionary tool against life insurance fraud. GeneTree offers these kits for free.