|
Child Safety Tips In the Home
from Keep My Child Safe Software
Be Aware of Your Child's Friends
•Know your child’s friends and their
families. Get to know their names, their addresses, phone numbers, etc.
You can store all of this information in Keep My Child Safe Software for easy
retrieval.
•Before you allow your child to go to the home of one of their friends, you
should learn who lives in the house or visits frequently.
•Before you allow your child to stay for the weekend at a friend’s home you
should know who will be caring for the child. If the parents will be
gone at any time, will there be a babysitter? You should familiarize
yourself with the area so you know how to get there or how give directions to
another party if necessary.
•Prior to allowing a child to visit
an unfamiliar friend's home without you, make it a point to get to know the
friend and his or her parents. With younger children, it may be
appropriate to accompany your child on the first visit, to become acquainted
with the child, his or her parent(s) and their habits/rules.
Be Aware of Your Child's Daily
Schedule
•Familiarize yourself with your child’s schedule. Know where and how they spend
their day. Keep My Child Safe Software help you store information about
the child's school, principal, teacher, bus number, afterschool activities for
each day of the week, clubs and organizations.
•Know your child’s preferred route to school, playground, store, etc.
•Make sure that your child knows they can call you at any time if plans have
changed or if they need you to pick them up. If they feel ill, make sure
that they have an emergency contact number or cell phone number for you.
•Make sure schools, daycares, babysitters, etc., have updated relevant
information on you including pick-up person, contact information, current
address, vacations planned, etc. Your school is eligible for a free
version Of Keep My Child Safe Software that will list all of the pertinent
information for every child in the school.
•Ensure that your child's school
administration, as a matter of policy, contacts you immediately if your child
does not appear at school. In addition, make sure that they have a copy of
your list of persons allowed to pick up the child from school from Keep My Child
Safe Software.
Do Not Hesitate to Do a Background Check Or Ask for References
•Do a background check on
babysitters, daycares, after school programs, camps, etc., before registering
your child.
•Ask for references. Before
you trust your child to a new situation such as a new camp or a new babysitter,
request references. A reputable person will not mind furnishing references
since the understand your need to keep your child safe.
•Tactfully make unannounced
visits.
•When using a babysitter in your
home, there should be rules that every babysitter will follow. Ensure that
he or she knows:
1. Your expectations, including duties and responsibilities.
2. Family rules and daily routines, including eating and sleeping arrangements.
3. How you can be contacted. Write down: Where you will be (including the
address and telephone number) and your cellular telephone and/or pager number.
When you leave the home,
babysitters should be instructed to:
1. Keep all outside doors locked.
2. Never open the door to anyone, unless you have given prior permission.
3. Never volunteer information over the telephone. (They should say that you are
home but unable to come to the telephone.)
4. Watch the children closely while awake, especially if taken outside.
5. Check children regularly after they have gone to sleep.
•Talk to your children about what
happened while you were gone (after the babysitter has left.)
Did anything make them feel uncomfortable or afraid?
Preventing Child Abduction
is Your Responsibility
What are the most important
things parents should tell children about safety?
•Always check first with a parent, guardian, or trusted adult before going
anywhere, accepting anything, or getting into a car with anyone.
•Do not go out alone. Always take a friend with when going places or playing
outside.
•Say "no" if someone tries to touch you, or treats you in a way that makes you
feel sad, scared, or confused. Get out of the situation as quickly as possible.
Tell a parent, guardian, or trusted adult if you feel sad, scared, or confused.
•Report and teach your children to report abuse, bullying, violence, sexual
intimidation and rape to the proper authorities. Identify to your children
people who they can trust to help with problems (relatives, neighbors, teachers,
counselors, ministers, friends and parents).
•Do not focus on "Stranger Danger;" a predator could be your neighbor or family
member.
•Teach your child assertiveness skills, to be independent and to trust their own
feelings. It is OK to question authority; adults, teachers, etc. at times.
•Encourage your child to be open and honest, communication is a part of keeping
your children safe. Do not teach young children to keep secrets.
•Give children the opportunity to be responsible, to make choices and accept the
consequences.
•Teach your child the "Buddy System/" There is safety in numbers.
What are the most important things
parents should do to avoid abduction or sexual exploitation?
•Remind older children to call home and to come home at dark. Older children are
vulnerable too.
•When children are waiting at the bus stop, if not waiting with them,
occasionally look out at them. Observe their conduct; and view anyone who
is not normally in the area.
•A child should never wait alone at a bus stop, especially if the stop cannot be
seen from your home.
•A child may not realize that someone who knows his or her name may not
necessarily be a friend. Therefore, avoid placing your child's name in a visible
place.
•Recognize and accept that your
child may face danger at times. Do not avoid or deny the problem. "Bad things
can happen to good people."
•Start early and talk openly about sex. Emphasize the idea that children have
the right to privacy of their own body. If they feel uncomfortable or that
something is wrong, it probably is.
•Let children know that "Good People" sometimes do "BAD THINGS"
•LISTEN to your child when they
complain of problems, (abuse, bullying, sexual harassment) no matter where the
problem happened: Home, school, church, social events, family or friends homes.
•Stay informed about predators in
your neighborhood.
•Be sensitive to changes in your children's behavior. They are a signal
that you should sit down and talk to your children about what caused the
changes.
•Be alert to an older child or adult who is paying an unusual amount of
attention to your children or giving them inappropriate or expensive gifts.
|




 |