The “Word” – Have you had “the talk” with your kids yet?

I often see a child or two on the corner after school, without any adult supervision. How long are these kids waiting? maybe just a couple minutes. But sometimes they may be sitting there for a while, with their mother stuck in line at the supermarket or father stuck in a meeting or older brother absentmindedly talking on the phone… The child may see someone drive up and say “Hey- Your mother is running late and asked me to come by and bring you home. Hop in!”

Would YOUR child get in the car to be driven home?  What should your child know about this sort of situation?

Something I recommend doing is having a ‘code word.’ It could be your pet dog’s name or the name of some vacation spot your family visited once. Anyone sent to pick up your child must volunteer this code word before your child considers anything but running away, screaming, when a stranger approaches.

And research has shown that a very high percentage of abductions are made by someone familiar to a child. So the code word should change often and be used ANY time someone outside the immediate family is to pick up your child.

Of course our schools have lists of authorized adults who can take our children from the school. Our kids are pretty safe while they are in school (my hometown is Newtown, CT, so I am very aware that our schools are not as safe as they can be but our school teachers and administrators do their best). But the few minutes between school letting out and parents picking them up (or seeing them arrive back home if they are commuting without us) are potentially very dangerous.

PLEASE talk with your child(ren) about “stranger danger” and agree on a code-word.