It’s a hot summer day… Your child asks you if he or she can go to the playground. Seeing nothing wrong with this, you decide to take them. When you arrive, there are many parents playing with their kids. Your little one soon scampers off, to play with the others. You find yourself enjoying the day, and chatting with another one of the parents while you watch your children play. You glance away for one moment.

Suddenly, your child is gone! You can’t see them anywhere! In a panic, you look around everywhere but they’re nowhere in sight… A simple outing managed to turn into a horrifying experience in a mere second.

How could this have been prevented? By teaching your children to play it safe. Sometimes bad things can happen in only a moment’s notice. It does not take long for something to go wrong. Kidnapping for ransom is a more common occurrence than many people think. Around 12,500-25,500 kidnappings occur annually. Kidnapping has also been linked to piracy and terrorism. With these difficult financial times that we’re facing as of recent, many people are turning to crime as a source (or attempted source) of income.

It’s important that your children know the proper thing to do in such situations. You should start with explaining to them not to talk to strangers, and how to tell which strangers are bad. If it’s someone they’re not introduced to, or don’t know, they should come to you right away. Teach them how to spot suspicious activity.

Let them know they can always come to you with their problems. If your children don’t feel they can talk to you about things, they may not tell you when something is amiss… Don’t allow them to take candy or toys from anyone except you or a designated, responsible adult (such as a sibling, a babysitter, a teacher, or etc.) who is taking care of them. And always make sure you keep a keen eye on children as they’re playing. Be certain that you know what they’re doing and who they’re with at all times, for their own safety.

When you’re at the playground, make sure you ask yourself… Are you and your children really playing it safe? It’s always better to be safe than sorry.