Keeping Them Safe
With summer here, kids will be outside playing, going to the local swimming pools, riding their bikes, and having a great time. Parents will be enjoying (for the most part) having the kids around, more noise than normal, and laughter while listening to the kids play.
With so much fun and games ahead, it seems a shame to have to worry about safety, but as a parent, I do. Not so much worry, as remain constantly aware of where my kids are, what they are doing, and who else may be in the general vicinity.
I check my computer periodically for child predators who are registered in my area, and there are a few. I show my kids what they look like (most often there is a picture), and where they live. I give instructions about what to do if anyone scares them, acts suspicious, and if any people in cars pull over to try and talk to them.
I hate to have to do this, but every year we go through the same things, and every year, my children have been safe.
There have been instances when I have had to call the police, and when my kids have been scared by someone. There have been instances when a suspicious car tried to get my kids to come to the window, and then when my kids ran, the car drove away. In one instance, a car fitting the description my kids gave me, was being looked for later the same day, for picking up a child a few miles away.
Safety is worth the work , and worth the time.
Most people are good, most people are trustworthy. Unfortunately , I have to make my kids beware of anyone they don’t know, and sometimes of people they do know.
Keeping them safe may not always be full of fun, but keeping them safe is my job.
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