I consider myself watchful of my children. I do not allow them away from me out in public places. As I explain to them it only takes a second for something to happen. I have seen it on the news time after time how children are abducted and some are reunited with their families while unfortunately others are never found. When I was a child I went to school with Adam Walsh so I know the devastation of a child being kidnapped.
During the weekend a creepy thing happened to be in the grocery store which has prompted me to write this post.
I had 4 of my children with me. My 2 year old son was home with my husband, the baby was in her baby sling, my 4 year old daughter was in the front of the shopping cart while my 5 year old son was sitting in the back of the shopping cart. My 8 year old walked next to me helping me grab the items off the shelf and placing them in the bottom of my cart being that it was hard to bend over with the baby laying down in her carrier.
We were down an aisle and a man came up behind us and said the same thing I hear time after time, “are those children all yours”? I replied yes. His response was, “oh I would like to have one of your boys, mine are grown and out of the house.” Of coarse my response was no, they are keepers. At first I thought how sad it will be when the day comes when my kids are grown and out of the house how much I will miss seeing them daily. Then I started to think how creepy it was for a man who looked about my age to ask for one of my boys. I will be 40 in a few months so I started to doubt his claim to his kids grown and moved out of the house. Maybe it was harmless but it really got me thinking, not that everyone is a child abductor but even the nicest of person to be careful because looks are deceiving.
As a mom I have educated my older children not to speak to strangers, not to take gifts from strangers, not to go anywhere with strangers. Here are my rules for my kids I stick to in public places.
1) Our homeschool group gets together quite a bit at the park for play dates and with 3 different play areas at the park I am constantly on the look out where each child is but sometimes it gets tricky so I dress my 4 older kids all in the same brightly colored shirts so I can find them easily.
2) I use my double or triple stroller, baby carrier or shopping carts as much as possible. Since my kids are younger I find it better to keep them contained to one place as much as possible.
3) My boys for some reason like to walk behind me in a store, etc. My rule is for them to walk aside me or right in front of me. If possible for them to place one hand on the stroller or shopping cart.
4) Never ever allow them to go off my themselves even if they are in an eye shot.
5) Some may disagree but my oldest is 8 years and if we are out in public I do not allow him to use a men’s public bathroom unless my husband is with us. We either use a family bathroom or we go in a women’s bathroom. Since I cannot see what is going on in the men’s bathroom, I refuse to put my boys in a circumstance that can be bad.
6) Avoid saying my kids loudly in public as well as not allowing them to wear shirts, etc. in public with their names on it. I do not want strangers to know my kids names in public. After all, I have taught my kids not to speak to strangers and if someone calls them by name because they have heard me say their name or their name on their shirt, bag, etc. than my kids may second guess them being a stranger.
Here are some books that I have read to my children teaching them the importance of safety and strangers:
The Swimsuit Lesson
Mama Will You Hold My Hand
Don’t Talk To Strangers
The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers
As a mom I have educated my older children not to speak to strangers, not to take gifts from strangers, not to go anywhere with strangers. Here are my rules for my kids I stick to in public places.
1) Our homeschool group gets together quite a bit at the park for play dates and with 3 different play areas at the park I am constantly on the look out where each child is but sometimes it gets tricky so I dress my 4 older kids all in the same brightly colored shirts so I can find them easily.
2) I use my double or triple stroller, baby carrier or shopping carts as much as possible. Since my kids are younger I find it better to keep them contained to one place as much as possible.
3) My boys for some reason like to walk behind me in a store, etc. My rule is for them to walk aside me or right in front of me. If possible for them to place one hand on the stroller or shopping cart.
4) Never ever allow them to go off my themselves even if they are in an eye shot.
5) Some may disagree but my oldest is 8 years and if we are out in public I do not allow him to use a men’s public bathroom unless my husband is with us. We either use a family bathroom or we go in a women’s bathroom. Since I cannot see what is going on in the men’s bathroom, I refuse to put my boys in a circumstance that can be bad.
6) Avoid saying my kids loudly in public as well as not allowing them to wear shirts, etc. in public with their names on it. I do not want strangers to know my kids names in public. After all, I have taught my kids not to speak to strangers and if someone calls them by name because they have heard me say their name or their name on their shirt, bag, etc. than my kids may second guess them being a stranger.
Here are some books that I have read to my children teaching them the importance of safety and strangers:
The Swimsuit Lesson
Mama Will You Hold My Hand
Don’t Talk To Strangers
The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers
I know many of my tips will change as they grow older but as they are younger my husband and I have to protect them from the ugliness that goes on in this world. I want my kids to remain innocent and pure and to try to keep the ugliness out as much as I can and protecting them from harm as many parents would want for their kids.
What rules do you follow by when out in public with your kids to keep them safe?
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