A trip to the shopping mall with children can be a daunting task for even the bravest parent and more often than not, it can end in tragedy.
Children are very quick and before you know it, they can get lost in the maze of shops and crowds of people. To prevent this from happening, follow these safety tips:
• Talk to your children before your family outing. Make a rule that – wherever you go – you must always be able to see them and they you. Continue reminding them of this rule, especially if you think they are getting restless.
• A fun and easy way for young children to remember not to wander away, is using the two giant steps rule. They can never be more than two giant steps away from you.
• Teach them to look for a safe stranger should they ever get separated from you. A safe stranger is a mom with children, or a cash register person. With older children, you can agree on a meeting place in case separation occurs.
• Tell your child to never leave the mall to go and look for you – no matter what anyone tells them. Remind them you will never leave until you are reunited.
• Always dress your children in brightly coloured clothing to make them easy to spot. Be sure to remember what they are wearing!
• With older children, establish the check first rule – they must always check with you first before going anywhere in a public place. This includes going to another store, play area or even the restroom.
• Do not treat public facilities as a convenient baby-sitter – do not leave your children alone at video arcades, movie theatres, play areas or other public places. Predators are known to look for unsupervised children.
• Always take young children into the restroom with you, and look for well-lit restrooms in high traffic areas.
• Ensure your child knows your cellphone number.
You should discuss age-appropriate safety issues with your children in a calm, non-fearful manner, Replace the word ‘strangers’ with ‘tricky people’ and let your children know it is not what people look like that makes them unsafe – it’s what they ask children to do. Children have been known to leave with a stranger because he seemed nice or did not look like a stranger.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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