One big challenge that we parents face today is the threat of having our precious little ones kidnapped –to be held as ransom for money or for child-sacrifice. In my personal case, our children are exposed to many strangers. The nature of their father’s job and position in society means that he meets and surrounds himself with many people, so that most of the people the kids meet seem strangers no matter if they met them before or not.
Now, meeting many people is not my problem. My concern is how to protect the children from strangers who would perhaps come purposely to harm them. With child-sacrifice and child-kidnapping on the rise, I’ve had to train them and equip them with some knowledge on how to handle strangers.
I’ve made my children know that keeping in a group and not leaving each other behind when walking or playing in the neighbourhood is a means of having one another’s back. Call it training them in team-work for safety. I have explained to them that if they’re in a group, in case there is a mischievous character trying to disturb any of them the rest can call for help.
Not emptying information about family and oneself to a stranger is another tactic I’ve taught my kids. I’ve always told them that when met and engaged, they shouldn’t give out private information like where we the parents are at that time, where we keep the car and house keys, even small things like what we ate last night. I have also endeavoured to make my children very curious, so that in case someone engages one of them in talk, the rest should literally poke their noses in that conversation, even speak for each other in case one of them is stuck with what answer to give.
Strangers that want to harm your child will normally offer them attractive things like sweets. These act as traps, and I have taught my kids never to accept eats, toys or gifts of any kind in case they are not in the company of an adult. I read the children stories and watch with them news featuring instances where children their age have fallen prey by accepting gifts of that nature from strangers, in the belief that these act as a kind of eye opener to them.
My children also know they can’t take rides from anyone in case cars stop along the road. Whether they know the driver and people in the car, they know that they shouldn’t board cars or boda-bodas which ask to give them a lift.
Sharing with us what they saw, who they met and what they talked about is as well encouraged. This way we the parents are able to identify dangerous moments that could have gotten them in trouble, then give advice on how to handle the same situation next time.
For every parent out there, our children should be encouraged to live along with all kinds of people in our society, but we parents must teach them how to cautiously do it so they can grow up unharmed.