Stranger Danger...

We live in a small community with one traffic light. In the past week we have had 3 attempted abductions by strangers. Not sure if this is statistically high or that because we live in such a small place the communication is quicker and better. I received 2 texts and had one conversation at the beach when I saw a school teacher friend. Hmmm, makes you feel unsafe doesn't it? There were 2 different makes of car and one was linked to a similar attempt in Coffs Harbour. Both my children couldn't sleep last night and Miss T ended up coming into my bed at 1.30am.

She felt that she was alone at bus stops alot and this freaked her out. By this morning she had arranged for a school chum's mum to either pick her up or drop of her friend so they could wait together. She's a 'do-er' isn't she?

We talked strategies. As you do.

I have done something with my kiddies since they were small, out of distraction when driving but is actually really handy. I have taught them to identify each brand symbol on a car so we used to play a game where they had to identify what sort of car it was first. (Hey, you need to be creative when you have little ones on long car trips don't you?) So, one car was identified as an Audi and even though we haven't really played the game for a while, they both knew that the brand symbol was 4 circles.

When they were older, we played a game where they needed to make up a sentence from number plates and took turns to play. "BMC541: Brigit Might Cough at 5.41am" or "CGT826: Clock Goes Tick 8-2=6". That sort of game.

We have also talked about strangers and for a very long time they thought a stranger was a sinister person dressed in black. We talk about strangers as anyone you don't know. (Daniel Morcombe has always featured in our discussions over the years) and do roles plays about kittens and lollies and missing dogs and writing down cars and number plated in the dirt if possible and running to a neighbour's house and what information to remember to tell the police........

I don't think it is possible to wrap children in cotton wool to keep them safe but by teaching them some lateral skills, maybe it will help. Kids are very good at identifying brands aren't they? Show me a 2 year old who doesn't recognize the 'Golden Arches" from TV. Miss T used to point out the Commonwealth Bank sign from when she was little and say "which bank".

What do you think? want to give any of these games a try? Can't hurt really can it?






 Ciao for now...