Keep Them Safe – It’s In Our Job Description

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Keep Them Safe - It's In Our Job Description | East Valley Moms Blog

There has been something weighing on my heart, sparking my anxieties and sometimes frankly, making me angry. I am going to guess that I am not alone in this opinion but that most who agree with me, tend to keep it to themselves.

So I’m just going to say it out loud.

Please PLEASE don’t let your small children go to the neighborhood park by themselves unsupervised. Don’t let them ride their bike around the block alone, don’t let them be in the front of your house without your eyes on them. 

Don’t get me wrong, when I was a young girl I was out front with my friends every chance I could get. I walked to elementary school unsupervised some days. I roller bladed my little heart out around the block until the street lights turned on and I took that as my cue to go home for dinner. I don’t know if times have truly changed or if it’s our ability to consume the news real time that has changed the way the world looks, but either way, we now know it’s just not safe out there.

It is far too often that I drive through my neighborhood and see young children (I’m talking 10 and under) that are outside by themselves playing or riding bikes. Sometimes in the street around dangerously sharp corners and blind spots for cars. Little ones, still in pull ups, running across the street to the park without even a thought to oncoming traffic or cars pulling out of driveways. No one watching them.

Sadly, it isn’t just cars that concern me. There are monsters out in the world that are looking for the opportunity that you are presenting them by letting your children play unsupervised. Let me tell you a story. I was at the neighborhood park with my son one afternoon and noticed that there were 3 children under the age of 8 there as well. Their parents were no where in sight. The littlest was barely 3 years old if I had to guess. I was partially hidden in the playground equipment with my son when a man walking his dog came into view across the park. He walked halfway down to the playground (still not seeing me) and presented his dog to the two youngest siblings. The 3 year old girl ran over to pet the dog and the two oldest continued riding their bikes the opposite direction, leaving her with the man. He started walking both the dog AND the little girl away from the park. My heart dropped and my brain went into overdrive. I ran around the equipment into view and sprinted towards them screaming the little girl’s name (I had to ask her brother what her name was). As soon as the man saw me, and the girl turned her head to my screaming, he picked up his pace and got out of the park and down the road out of view. Soon after bringing her back to the playground, I had to leave the park with my son, but felt obligated to stay and watch those kids…because their parents weren’t. What if the man came back? It should not have been my responsibility but I am so thankful that I was there that day. Before I left, I knocked on the door to their house and told the parents what had happened. I am sure they think I over reacted because those kids still play at the park unsupervised. Nothing changed.

Unfortunately, we recently found out there was a real predator in our neighborhood…and he fits the description of the man I saw at the park that day.  

You may label me as a “helicopter parent” and that’s OK. You may think that I am paranoid, and you might even be correct. I do however, know that it is my responsibility to make sure my kids grow up safe. I am not opposed to fun at the park or riding bikes up and down the street but I will always have my eyes on my kids and I plead with you to do the same. Talk with them about stranger danger. Come up with code words that have to be said before they are allowed to go anywhere with someone who isn’t you. Teach them to look both ways before crossing the road or to stay out of the street while playing. As much as we want to put our blinders on and assume life’s the same as when we were kids, the unfortunate truth is that it is not. 

In honor of National Safety Month, I urge you to take it a few steps further.

Find out what is going on in your neighborhood by searching your home address in the Arizona Sex Offender Registry. Know the faces you should be looking out for. 

Search Your Address Here

Sign up for free McGruff Safe Kids ID Kits provided by the National Crime Prevention Council. 

Claim Your Free Kits Here

 

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