Here's an interesting (and helpful) article for us, parents. Read on...
Kidnapped — Basic Safety Guidelines Every Parent Should Know from MomCenter.com.ph
These days, it is quite common to see warnings of child kidnappers in our Facebook feeds. It either includes photos of perpetrators, the vehicles they use, or God forbid, even morbid photos of what they do to the kidnapped kids. Although such warnings make us parents more aware and alert, I think that aside from looking out for the kidnappers or their vehicles, making our own children alert and teaching them what to do in the case of an attempted kidnapping is also important.
To start off, here are a few basic safety rules we should instill in our kids:
Don’t go with another adult who’s not your parent, guardian, or person who’s in charge of you for that day.
If a stranger asks you for any kind of help — treat it as a warning sign. Adults do not need help from a child.
Never get into any vehicle with a stranger.
Know what is ok or not ok for you. Be confident and take action whenever you feel that someone is trying to take advantage of you.
For us parents, the important thing is to communicate openly with our kids. Be open with them and tell them what is going on in their life, and even in our society in general. As parents, we tend to try to protect them from the “big, bad” world, but sometimes, awareness of this not-so-good side of the world is what it takes for them to be on their guard — which, let’s admit is not a bad thing. At the same time, let your kids know that different situations can have different rules, and as such, they don’t always have to be polite and can always say no if the situation calls for it. Politeness can make it easy for potential kidnappers to get your kid to do what he wants.
Next, teach your child techniques to avoid being kidnapped.
Granted, a potential kidnapping situation can be scary as hell for us adults, more so for kids. But it should be noted that in any kidnapping situation, there can be windows of opportunity for the victim to try and save his life. And since potential kidnappers can be intimidating and downright scary, it is also important to equip your child with self-esteem and confidence to try out and do these techniques. Of course, practicing them at your home could help as well.
- Velcro technique — Be like a velcro and stick into anything, or basically grab something and DO NOT let go. Grab a tree, a bike, a light post, or even grab another adult. The point is, grabbing anything can call attention to what’s happening and at the same time, it makes it harder to disengage and carry off a child during an attempted kidnapping.
- Yell as loud as you can “Stop stranger!” — Teach your child that any stranger who is attempting to carry them off could be dangerous and they should try to call attention as much as they can by yelling. Granted, some kids also do yell even when they are with their parents, which is why they need to specifically say “stranger.”
- Windmill or swimming technique — Teach your child to rotate his arms in a big circle if a stranger is trying to carry them off. Doing so will prevent the kidnapper from getting a good grip on your child.
- Make a lot of noise — Aside from yelling, you can also equip your child with a whistle, which they can blow on in situations wherein they might be in danger. Aside from the whistle or yelling, tell them to make as much racket as they can to call attention from others who might be able to help. A commotion can frighten potential kidnappers as it calls attention on them.
And finally, here are a few safety reminders for us parents:
- Always know where your child is, and the persons they know.
- Be wary of changes in your child’s behavior.
- Do not leave your child alone in a public place, car, or stroller.
- Do not ask your stranger to hold your baby, even for a few minutes.
- Do not label their bags, lunch boxes, or clothing.
- Do not let your children go out alone. Always use the buddy system.
- Teach and let your child memorize your mobile phone number and even a close family member’s. Instruct him on how to contact either one of you.
- Always be wary of strangers or possible threats in any situation.
- Take a lot of photos of your child and keep them current.
- Teach older kids to always use their critical thinking and intuition.
As parents, we always hope and pray for the best and that nothing bad happens to our child. But in this big, bad world we live in, aside from equipping them with prayers, it is also best to empower them in scary situations such as kidnapping.
What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
- Pivot Point by Kasie West ♥
- Split Second by Kasie West
- Nemesis by Brendan Reichs
- The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody ♥♥♥
- Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah (Now my favorite author! Her books are the best!)
What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
- Lalaland
- Black Panther
- The Incredible Hulk
- Kasal
What special days did I celebrate and how?
- Mother's Day
- Inlaws' 50th Wedding Anniversary
What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
- Little headaches due to change of weather :(
What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
- Stayed in Edsa Shangrila for 2 nights with the family
- Had a lot of family dinners with relatives this month
What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
- Salad Stop!
- California Pizza Kitchen
- Abe
What special or unusual purchases did I make?
- Bought a black Tote as a gift for myself for Mother's Day ♥
What have you learned this month?
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In a fast paced and constantly changing world, an individual’s ability to adapt to the demands and trends of modern life are key to one’s success.
My own experience as mompreneur teaches me that what we learn in school will not necessarily be related to our chosen profession or work. To be specific, I was a psychology graduate, but now find myself in the field of communications and fashion retail. Much of what I do now was self-taught or learned on the job. I certainly did not learn how to write an effective press release, strategize for social media content, or do e-commerce when I was back in school.
What does this have to do with our children? Everything.
As multi-dimensional modern mothers (who juggle different roles every day as moms, wives and sometimes professionals), we aspire to do everything in our power to set-up our children for success. We want them to be well-rounded individuals who are not just book smart, but street smart. We understand what it means to live full and fruitful lives, and we want no less for our kids.
But how can we do this, without knowing what the world will be like in 10-20 years? “Will my child be ready for the challenges she will face? Will she find a stable job?” we wonder and worry. These concerns are valid, but we want more than that, don’t we? We want our children not just to survive but to thrive.
Thus, for our children to succeed in an uncertain future, as mothers, we need to encourage them to be as adaptable as possible. How can we do this? Here are a few ways you can prepare your child for a successful future:
1. Encourage a love for learning. How? By giving your child the opportunity for learning experiences that are rewarding, fun, interesting and challenging. Make their playtime activities educational and exciting, so they are able to view learning as something enjoyable.
2. Equip your child with advanced learning skills. Expose your child to different learning styles. Is she a visual learner, who prefers pictures, images and spatial understanding? An aural learner, who enjoys learning through sound and music? A verbal learner, who prefers using words both in speech or writing? Or a physical learner, who prefers using her body, hands, and sense of touch?
3. Explore the multiple intelligences. Book smart and math smart are not the only forms of smart. The Gardner theory of multiple intelligence proposes that learning is multi-dimensional: the visual-spatial, the body-kinesthetic, the musical-rhythmic, the interpersonal, the intrapersonal, the verbal-linguistic, the logical-mathematical, and the naturalistic as different forms of intelligence. Explore them with your child. If you only focus on one type of intelligence, then you may not discover your child’s untapped potential in the other areas.
4. Teach your child self-awareness. Knowing one’s gifts, abilities, and strengths are key to success in any field of work. The important thing is to help your child balance this knowledge with a healthy recognition of one’s weaknesses, or areas of growth.
5. Provide your child with the right nutrition. In today’s environment where children need to be able to learn not just mentally but physically and socio-emotionally as well, they need to have strong minds and bodies more than ever. Aside from proper parenting and care, giving them the proper nutrition is critical in nurturing their gifts. They need the right nutrients at the right levels to help them learn in many ways at their best. They also need precisely balanced age appropriate nutrition to help support their mental, physical, and social learning milestones. Finally, they need a combination of unique brain nutrients for their cognitive development, antioxidants to help maintain their body’s natural defenses, dietary fibers to support their gastrointestinal health, and growth nutrients to support their weight and height. With a balanced diet, only Promil Gold® Four provides this advanced nutrition with its expertly designed Gold Biofactors system, a unique combination of nutrients working together to support strong minds and bodies to help advance their gifts.
Motherhood is definitely challenging, and we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves about our children. We worry about their safety, their health, their happiness, and their futures. This is why I am so grateful for any form of help I can get. Raising and caring for a child is a lot of work, and it is comforting to know that there are brands out there I know I can trust (such as Promil Gold® Four, which has been around for at least 30 years!) to help me on my journey.
As moms, the most we can do is love our children, do our best, and trust that when the time comes, they will be ready to do the rest.
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