Keeping Kids Safe - At Holiday Venues and Events
The holidays are upon us! And with those holidays come special events, large public gatherings and lots of time spent in shopping centers. With venues and public surroundings filled with crowds of people, special activities, festivities, music, decorations, and many flavors of holiday cheer, it is easy to become distracted and lose track of things… including your children. It can, and has, happened to the best of us.
In order to keep the holidays happy, it is important to take some steps that will limit the risk of becoming unintentionally separated from our children, or worse yet, having our children fall victim to the unlikely but still possible scenario of mistreatment or abduction by nefarious individuals. Prevention through safety awareness preparation and attention to some simple safety practices can help keep your kids safe and keep families together.
Laying a Foundation for Safety-Minded Children
You don’t want your children to be afraid of everyone and everything, but at the same time, you need for them to have a healthy respect for signs of safe versus unsafe adult interactions
Before you Go:
Photos - Keep updated photos of your kids on your smartphone or in your wallet for quick reference.
Identity Details - Make sure your kids know their name, parents’ names and phone numbers, as well as their home address.
Awareness of Tricky People - Invest a little time in helping your kids identify “tricky people*” – or grown-ups who may try to trick them into:
Breaking safety rules (leaving a safe area, taking gifts/treats, lying, etc.)
Providing “help” (adults don’t normally ask kids for help)
Keeping secrets or lying
Disobeying parents
*The term tricky people is better than stranger since bad actors may be people a child knows or recognizes, according to Pattie Fitzgerald, founder of Safely Ever After, Inc. child-safety organization. Sadly, most child predators don’t present themselves as scary or monstrous – rather just the opposite – so children must instead look for those tricky behaviors that might make them feel uncomfortable.
Trust in Instincts - Children should be told to trust any uneasy feelings they may have around certain adults or tricky people. It’s often hard, especially for compliant children, to listen to their instincts that are telling them that something isn’t right. Children should know that it’s always ok to stop talking to another adult and seek out their parent or parent figure. Any adult that discourages a child from involving their parents (i.e., tricky behavior) should not be trusted.
Empowered to Say No - Empower your children to respond protectively to tricky people. Teach them the No, Go, Yell, Tell approach as an example (when it doesn’t feel right, say no, run away, yell for help, and tell you parents/security/safe person). Make sure they know never to go anywhere with an unfamiliar or “tricky” adult without permission, and never to take things (like candy, money) from people they don’t know.
Identify Safe People - Teach children to identify “safe” people, such as police, security officers, teachers, store employees, and even other moms with kids. While none of these is foolproof, it is good for them to have an idea of what safe adults look and act like, should they find themselves separated from their parents.
Use 911 - Teach your children how and when to call 911.
Child Fingerprinting - Consider having your kids fingerprinted. Local police departments will know what area agencies offer this service.
PupSafe Program – Familiarize your kids with the “PupSafe” program, which provides specific steps they can take if they get separated from you in a busy place.
Once You’re There:
Snap a Today Picture - Take a picture of your kids at the beginning of the day. Getting into this habit may be easier when combined with another safety habit, which is to take a picture of your parking location upon arrival at a shopping center or public venue.
Leverage GPS Technology - Consider engaging a child tracking GPS system if your budget allows, as some of these can be a bit pricey. With wearable and non-wearable tuck-in-your-pocket options, companies like Jiobit, TickTalk, AngelSense, Tracki, and GeoZilla have products that allow you to track things, including your children, using GPS technology. Please be aware that technology has its limitations (like short battery life, device removal and/or destruction) so this type of technology should only be used as a supplement to a broader approach to child safety.
Know Your Surroundings - Familiarize yourself and your children with the setting – leveraging online maps and customer floor plans as provided by most major shopping centers – to identify safe locations and resources, as well as locations to avoid such as service courts, out-of-the-way hallways, and employee-only areas.
Identify Safe People/Locations - Identify employee and/or security team members for your kids so they are reminded what to look for in the case of a separation.
Pick a Meeting Place - Identify a specific meeting point – a place to go if separated. This should be specific (i.e., “the bench at the front entrance”) rather than general (i.e., “the food court”) to remain effective in the case of large crowds.
Review what to do if a child gets lost (Plan | Stop | Find | Tell)
Using some of these techniques and engaging in some planning and awareness conversations with your children before a problem occurs will go a long way toward ensuring a safe and happy holiday season. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Download the PupSafe Program Coloring Book and use it as a guide to develop you own family stay-safe plan.
