Guard a Kid

The Internet is an incredible teaching tool for children, yet a trap of potentially dangerous people and images.  Simple keyword searches can yield pornographic images or lead a child to a chat room where potential predators lurk.  It all sounds so sinister, but the unfortunate truth exists that there are people out there preying on the innocence of a young person.  Child safety on the Internet is important for parents to understand and explain the dangers.

The scary statistics say that more than 75% of all children under the age of 14 are approached by an online predator.  Brightly colored, interactive websites attract very young children with games and puzzles, and may also allow them to enter chat rooms that could have a predator waiting.  These people will start conversations may allow them to send sexually explicit messages or images to the child, or ask to arrange a meeting.

Parents need to be aware of the potential warning signs and openly discuss child safety measures regarding the internet.  One the eminent signs is the amount of time a child spends online, particularly at night.  Predators typically work during the day and troll the internet at night, looking for opportunities to chat.  Parents need to keep computers in common areas of the home to be able to subtly monitor what is on the screen, rather than keeping the computer in a bedroom.  Regular checking of children’s email accounts will help a parent keep tabs on any potentially dangerous messages from strangers.  It is also important to monitor items received in the US mail, as children may inadvertently give out their address.

Teaching child safety online is important, by promoting responsible use of the internet.  There is so much more to utilize online other than chat rooms.  Parents can instruct children to never give out personal information, arrange face to face meetings with strangers, or download images from unknown sources.

Some parents have difficulty getting this message across in a firm yet friendly way.  Help is available through the form of informative DVD’s that families can watch together.  John Walsh is a child safety expert, and has partnered with Julie Clark to create programs to teach children the good and bad about internet safety.  Parents should also be aware of monitoring software and internet controls they can employ to prevent potentially harmful situations.  All of these items are great tools in keeping children safe from these unseen dangers.

Any parent with children under the age of ten knows how easy they like to wander off, taken by their own curiosity.  When we were kids, it used to be funny to hear stories about how Dad lost us in the hardware store, or how Mom had to search under all the racks at the clothing store to find us.  However, times have changes, and unfortunately we can’t afford to let our kids accidently wander off.  Too many stories of strangers luring young ones makes us take child safety much more seriously.

The good news is technology has created advancements that allows parents to purchase simple devices that help keep better track of their children.  From a simple locator key chain to actual GPS tracking, parents can take child safety to a new level and keep it affordable.

Small keychain transmitters are available that send a signal to a small receiver attached to a child’s shoe or coat.  Within a 150 feet radius, the parent can push a button that activates a high decibel alert signal within the receiver, drawing attention to the child.  This device is great for public areas that can be more crowded such a mall, airport, or any other large public gathering.  The receiver is disguised within a small plastic teddy bear, making it appear to be part of what the child is wearing, and is easily attached.

A child is reported missing every 40 seconds in the United States according to statistics by the FBI.  Sometimes a parent can’t be too careful, but yet they can’t be with their child every waking minute.  Another great device to keep track of a child that is on the go is a small GPS tracker that slips easily into a pocket.  Zones can be set up that the child will be within, and an alert can be emailed or texted to the parent every time the child leaves or enters the area.  No external connections or antennas are necessary, and the device is typically accurate within 15 feet.  Using a GPS tracker will give the parent the necessary confidence that their child is where they should be.

Child safety is a number one priority for any parent, especially when there is the threat of the unknown.  Taking simple measures and using devices like the ones mentioned will give peace of mind to any anxious parent.

Being a parent means having to wear a number of hats around our children.  We teach them about the great things in life, but we also need to protect them from the dangers.  The FBI reports that child goes missing every 40 seconds.  Many of the children reported missing are harmed or worse, never found.  Teaching our families about child safety can help deter situations from coming up.

Children need to learn about “stranger danger” at a young age.  They need to know who “good” strangers are:  police officers, firemen, teachers, store clerks, etc. that they can turn to if necessary.  These are the people they can go to if a parent is not around, and a “bad” stranger is making them feel uneasy.  Children should avoid walking anywhere along, and employ a buddy system.

A child should be taught their name, address, and phone number if any kind of an emergency arises.  Being able to remember little details about their surroundings is also an important detail to teach.

As a parent, we should prepare our children to make smart decisions about the people around them.  We can also prepare ourselves if something should happen by creating a child identification kit.  Should a child go missing, a child ID kit is one of the best ways to arm ourselves and provide immediate information to law officials.

The kit makes it easy to create 10 digital fingerprints of your child and store them on a CD-ROM.  This program will also allow recent photographs, descriptions of physical features such as height and weight, and any other pertinent information.  Should it need to be used, the information stored on this disk can be instantly sent electronically to any law enforcement agency.

Timing is critical when it comes to finding a missing child, and having a child ID kit will aid dramatically.  The kits are inexpensive and can be created in a short time.  It is important to update the pictures and descriptions at least yearly, since children’s appearances change so often.

Teaching child safety to your family will help prevent unfortunate incidents from happening.  However, we can never play it too safe, and making a child ID kit will give everyone a little more peace of mind.