Though all parents wish that they could send their children out into the world each day with total confidence they’d return in safety, the unfortunate reality is that thousands of children are lost or kidnapped each year. While parents can’t always watch their children and keep them safe from harm, parents hold a responsibility to teach their children the basic practices for staying safe and preparing for emergencies. By taking basic steps to prepare yourself and your child, you can be ready to face dangerous or difficult situations with less worry and stress. Here are a few simple steps to start out.
Teach Your Kids How to Use 911
Begin preparing your child for an emergency by teaching the basics. Start with how and when to use 911, and then teach your child to recite her or his name, address, and phone number. Though you shouldn’t have this information visible on any of your child’s personal items, the child should be able to recite them to a police officer or 911 operator.
Make an ID Kit
If your child is ever abducted or lost, it’s important that the police know how to identify her or him. To help authorities effectively and quickly identify your child, begin by preparing an ID kit for each of your children. As part of the child ID program in Orange County, CA, you can compile a kit containing your child’s photo, fingerprints, hair DNA sample, and other key information that will facilitate a police search. Though you hope you’ll never need to use this kit, it’s important that you have it ready.
Role-Play Emergencies
If the day comes that your child is lost at a fair or store or approached by a stranger, you want her or him to know what to do. The best way to do this is by roleplaying emergency situations and instructing your children on how to react. Teach them what to do if they’re lost (i.e., who to talk to, where to go, etc.), and act out scenarios with them in which they’re approached by a stranger. Roleplaying helps children to understand how to react while in a safe environment so they’re prepared to react quickly in a dangerous one.
Keeping your children safe when they’re away from home starts by preparing and educating them while they’re at home. Begin with these basic steps and welcome any questions that they have. Though these conversations can be heavy and at times scary for kids, you can make it lighter by turning memorizing personal information or roleplaying into a game. Children can have fun as they help you prepare an ID kit as part of the child ID program in Orange County, CA. As they engage in their learning, they’ll be more likely to remember what you’ve taught them and more likely to use it in the case of an emergency.