Keeping Children Safe

Keep­ing chil­dren safe is an hon­ourable and daunt­ing task. Here is some great advice from Toron­to Police that you should pass on to your chil­dren.

1. To nev­er accept any­thing from any­one unless they have per­mis­sion from a par­ent or the per­son look­ing after them.

2. Not to open the doors for any­one unless a par­ent is aware of the vis­it.

3. When they are allowed to answer the phone (e.g. if the call dis­play shows it is a par­ent, sib­ling, grand­par­ent or neigh­bour) and what they should say.

4. To stay calm if they become lost, and to find help from a store clerk, police offi­cer or a moth­er with chil­dren, and to nev­er go into a park­ing lot alone.

5. To check in reg­u­lar­ly with a par­ent or care­giv­er when they are not at home. If they want to change their after-school plans, or go from one place to anoth­er (e.g., from one friend’s house to some­one else’s house), they are to call you first. Make sure your chil­dren under­stand to check in with you when they arrive at their des­ti­na­tion.

6. That you always need to know where they are going, includ­ing the address and tele­phone num­ber.

7. To nev­er get into anyone’s car or go any­where with any­one – even with some­one they know, unless a par­ent or care­giv­er has giv­en per­mis­sion.

8. To check in with you or the care­giv­er when they get home. Estab­lish rules for hav­ing friends over or going to some­one else’s house. Wher­ev­er your chil­dren go, ask about super­vi­sion. Be sure that you know how to reach your chil­dren at any time.

9. That if they are ever in a sit­u­a­tion where they feel uncom­fort­able or unsafe, and want to be picked up right away, they can alwayscall you, no mat­ter what. Focus on the fact that they made the right choice by call­ing you, and that you hope if they are asked to go again, they will not go – tell them that if there is peer pres­sure to go, it’s okay to make an excuse to friends for why they can’t (e.g.,they have to babysit younger sib­lings, there is a fam­i­ly gath­er­ing they must attend).