By Master Amitis Pourarian, owner of THE STUDIO Martial Arts & Fitness, 7th Degree Black Belt
As school gets underway, it’s a great time for parents to check-in with safety protocol when it comes to their kids. Here are 6 quick-and-easy tips to help keep your kids stay safe.
1) Do not put your child’s name on clothing, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc. where it’s easily visible to others. Put their names on the inside, so the article can be identified but a stranger can’t approach your child and use their name as a way to create familiarity.
2) Encourage your child to communicate with you regularly, so in the event of an incident involving something like a stranger approaching them, they know they should tell you.
3) Teach your kids the difference between a secret and a surprise. Make sure they know to tell you if someone tells them a secret.
4) Confirm your child knows a parent’s cell phone number (including area code) and parent’s full name.
5) Whether your child walks to school or plays at the playground, predators often attempt to lure children. Make sure your child knows that they shouldn’t talk with, or even help, a stranger. If a stranger asks for help, teach your child not to approach and instead get an adult to help them.
6) Have a password between you and your child that no one knows. In the event someone other than yourself needs to pick them up then the person picking up must say that password; otherwise, your child should not go.
For more info about child safety and to sign up for a “Child Anti-Abduction Workshop” or “Self-Defense Workshop,” contact THE STUDIO Martial Arts & Fitness.
Reprinted with permission from Style Magazine, August 30, 2017
Photo © Konstantin Yuganov – fotolia.com