If Your Child was Lost or Abducted, Would They Know What to Do?

If your child was abducted or lost, would they have the survival skills necessary to make it through the traumatic event? It is a question we don't want to think about or even ponder, but it is one that every child should be prepared for. There are things you can do that will prepare your child in case something like this should happen to them. We teach them not to talk to strangers or get into strange vehicles, but what if it happens, would you or your child be prepared?

There are some preventative measures that you can take and things you can teach your child that will be crucial in the event that a terrible tragedy happen. You can make these practices fun but make sure the child understands that it is a serious matter.

One thing you can do as a parent is to always have an up to date picture of your child in your wallet, it doesn't hurt to have your child's weight, height and age written down either, in case you are too upset to answer the questions that need to be answered. Get information from your local amber alert or online resource for amber alert and discuss it with your child. Taking these steps will save crucial time in the emergency. I stress again to make sure the photo is up to date.

Having your child pay attention to detail, you can do this by using play. Show your child a picture and then pull it away and see how detail they can give you. You can then review the picture with your child again pointing out important details. Like what a person was doing or wearing in the photograph. You can use magazines with pictures with different scenes or books that your child enjoys reading.

In a case of an attempted abduction, a child's description can be key in apprehending a suspect. Ultimately, saving other children from going through the trauma and getting a predator or possible kidnapper off the street and behind bars, making the world a safer place for all. Being able to provide this detail will come easier with practice, knowing what to look for ahead of time a child can take what is photographed in their memory and give it to a sketch artist (fun link for kids, but will also be a helpful aid) to make the image come to life. Having a good description of the vehicle or even better the license plate will be invaluable information for police and law enforcement.

In the case that your child gets lost, remembering landmarks or leaving a trail behind will assist you or rescue teams in finding them. Teach your child these skills while driving down the road, see if your child can remember important landmarks, have them give you the directions on the way to the mall or on the way home. Put them on the spot and ask them to jot down the directions and go out and drive them. Have your child leave a trail for you to follow, even if it is in the back yard. Again, making a game of it will make the exercises more engaging for children, especially younger ones. You can then explain the importance of the exercise to your child in a way that they will understand.

In conclusion, we never want anything bad to happen to our children, we never know what's around the corner, we can't live in constant fear either, but we need to be aware and make our children aware that bad people do exist, kids get lost and there are ways to deal with it if it happens.