Keeping your children
safe in the festive season
AS the nights
get darker and colder, we seem to want to hibernate. Activities are moved indoors
and hot drinks replace cool cordials. But for some reason our children, these
strange creatures, want to be outside. Seasonal events like Halloween and
Bonfire Night agree with the children and make us leave the warmth of the home
and head outside. But what can we do to make sure our children stay safe whilst
being around large groups of strangers on dark nights.
The younger
children are easier to manage, as the first precaution would be to hold their
hands. This keeps parents happy in the knowledge that their child is safe, and it
stops the little one wandering off. As a second precaution, you could use a
wrist strap or brace. This would give them a little more freedom but still give
you piece of mind. Another hot tip would be to write your address and phone
number on a piece of paper and slipping it into their pocket. Should the worst
happen and they slip away, the paper will help identify them and return them to
you quickly.
As the children
get older it’s harder to keep a close eye on them in a crowd. An older child of
ten upwards wouldn’t want to hold onto mum’s hand; ‘so uncool.’ They probably
wouldn’t want to walk to close to you either. This is where long talks of
‘strangers’ come in. Also most large events are covered by security and can
easily be identified through badges and high visibility vests. Point these out
to your children as a figure they can talk to if they get lost. Finding a
well-lit public spot to stand is a good idea. Ensure it is easy to find, maybe
next to a billboard or other distinguishable object, and try not to move away
from it. Tell your child that this is where you will be all evening; in case
they wander off they will be able to find you. The note in the pocket is still
a good idea at this age too.
As your little
ones turn into teenagers, they always know best. It becomes harder to
give them strict rules to follow. Even if they do attend a big event with you,
they probably won’t want to stay with you, and they will head off to find their
friends. Again, have the ‘stranger’ talk; children are never too old for this,
even if they think they are. Try to arrange beforehand, where they are going to
meet their friends and who is going to be there. Tell them to keep valuables hidden;
a brightly lit mobile phone is easy pickings in a crowded place. Give them a
time to meet you and stress that severe punishments, like phone confiscation,
will be in place if they mess up. Again, point out the security men and women.
A moody teenager will not want to listen but giving the info is free and could
come in handy. So bear with the ‘oh mam’ complaints and put everything into
place to keep them safe.
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