Two words that could save your child from abduction

We all want our kids to be safe but how do you protect them when you aren’t there? Find out how two words could help save your child from abduction.

Mum of four, Jodie Norton explains in her blog, Time Well Spent, the safety rule she taught her children that may have saved their lives! Her approach could help save your child from abduction too.

Jodie’s story

It all started when she she felt an unbearable pain in her abdomen whilst in the shower one morning. She managed to get dressed and drove to the local ER with her four kids, taking the two youngest in with her, she left the two oldest children (10 and 8 years old) outside to wait for a neighbour to pick them up and take them to school. The neighbour took 40 minutes to arrive, rather than 5 minutes she expected. It wasn’t until the end of the day when she collected her kids she found out what had happened. Jodie writes, ‘Their story of what had transpired while I had stupidly left them out there alone made me simultaneously sick and grateful.’ While they waited, the children were approached by three strangers several times, who tried to persuade them to go into a hospital bathroom. They said their friend was hiding from the doctor and needed convincing to be treated. Thankfully, CJ, the ten-year-old, politely said ‘no, thank you’. But the strangers persisted: ‘Please? You could really save his life if you’d just go in that bathroom and tell him it’s safe to come out.’ CJ stuck to his guns, saying no, and eventually the strangers left. Jodie’s mouth ‘hung open’ the whole time this story was being recounted. Imagine her relief and gratitude that the rules she had taught her kids had paid off and that was the reason they hadn’t gone off with the strangers. CJ repeated a family ‘stay safe’ rule to her: “Mom, I knew they were Tricky People because they were asking us for help. Adults don’t ask kids for help.”

What is a ‘Tricky Person?’

Tricky People are the new strangers. Pattie Fitzgerald, founder of Safely Ever After, created the concept. She says, “Stop telling your kids not to talk to strangers. They might need to talk to a stranger one day. Instead, teach them which sorts of strangers are safe.” One of her guidelines for knowing which people are unsafe is the rule CJ remembered – Tricky People ask kids for help. A safe adult asks another adult if they need help, not a child. Check out Safely Ever After’s Ten Safety Rules and find out more information on the ‘Tricky Person’ concept. It might just help save your child from abduction. How have you spoken to your children about ‘Tricky People’?

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