There are many different kinds of drug abuse: alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceutical, inhalants, gateway drugs, and hard core drugs. Early prevention is the key to keep our children safe. Here’s what parents can do.
* Be your kids’ greatest fan. Compliment them on all of their efforts, the strength of their character and their individuality.
* Encourage open dialog with your children about their experiences. Make sure your children understand that they can ask you anything and that you will give them an honest answer.
* Set limits and consistently enforce them. This makes it easier for them to say “NO” when pressured by peers.
* Set a no-use rule for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
* Help your children feel good about themselves; build up their self-esteem with support, praise, and love, so they respect themselves and want to reach their dreams.
* Serve as a good role model. If you have a drug or alcohol abuse problem, get help for yourself.
* Help children to make wise decisions based upon their own beliefs.
* Encourage them to say “NO” and avoid unhealthy situations.
* Encourage children to choose positive friendships. Get to know your children’s friends and their parents. Call them and check to make sure they share in your views on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
* Give children the support they need to do their best in school.
* Help children deal with failure so they learn to cope without wanting to escape with drugs.
* Get your children involved in adult-supervised after-school activities. Find out if they are interested in sports, music, or other things. This helps them to have something to do with their time.
* Help your children develop tools they can use to get out of alcohol or drug related situations.
* Sit down for dinner with your children at least once a week. Use the time to talk-don’t eat in front of the TV.
* Get-and stay-involved in your children’s lives.
-Jenny
 The statistics are alarming – 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 7 boys will be molested before age 18. Approximately 85% of sexual offenders are known to the child and 50% are parent figures. There is no way we can completely protect our children from sexual abuse, but there are some ways we can lessen the chance it could occur.
* Tell children that if someone tries to touch their bodies in a way that makes them feel “funny” or “bad” to say NO then go tell an adult they trust.
* Talk to children every day about their interactions with others. Ask them about their feelings. This helps to encourage your children to feel comfortable talking to you about anything.
* Do not teach your children blind obedience to adults. Don’t teach children to do everything an adult or teacher tells them. Instead teach them that most adults are good people to be respected but that they should listen to their own hearts; tell them that it’s OK to say NO to an adult if they want the child to do something they know is wrong.
* Teach your children the correct names for their body parts, as well as any nicknames you might use. Make sure they know that areas covered by a bathing suit are private. Take away the embarrassment children have about talking about “private parts”.
* Teach children the difference between good touches and bad touches. Explain to them that while it is OK for a doctor to touch their stomach to see what’s wrong, it is not OK for Mr. Smith to touch them in their pants.
* Teach your children not to keep secrets from you and don’t encourage secret keeping in your family. Tell your children that they can always tell you anything no matter what anyone tells them.
* Play “what if ” games with your children. Create frightening and confusing situations and ask children what they would do in these situations, for example ask, “What would you do if someone wanted you to play undressing games?” Make sure you balance these games with questions about good touches.
Often we have no clue about sexual abuse. When we do find out – we ask ourselves, “How come I didn’t see it?”
After I graduated from high school, I tried to keep in touch with old friends. It wasn’t until years later that I learned that some of my friends had been abused. I was horrified. I couldn’t believe that this had gone on in some of the homes that I spent a lot of time.
I’ve tried to do all that I can to be aware in my own life and in raising my family. Recently I found out about an organization that promotes safety and gives kids a fighting chance. It empowers kids to use their instincts and replace fear with confidence. It is called Rad Kids. Go to www.radkids.org and learn where you can take advantage of this in your community. Ed Smart (Elizabeth Smart’s father) was on Oprah endorsing this program. Become educated and empower your family.
-Jenny
If you could make one place a safe haven for your children, where would it be? For many parents, the answer is their homes. Yet research shows more than 4.5 million children are injured in the home every year.
* Check for fire hazards. Look for frayed electrical wires or flammable materials near heat sources such as space heaters. Never run electrical cords under rugs.
* Make sure you have working smoke alarms. Install carbon monoxide detectors in every sleeping area and check batteries often.
* Use safety gates. Stair falls tend to result in severe injuries. Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs to keep infants and toddlers out of harm’s way.
* Cover all unused electrical outlets.
* If firearms are kept in the house, keep them locked, unloaded and stored out of reach. Secure ammunition in a separate, locked location.
* Install window guards on all windows that are not emergency exits. Window guards can be purchased at your local hardware store.
* Young children love to climb on furniture and use drawers and shelves as steps. However, children can sustain crush injuries as furniture can easily tip over on them. Secure bookcases, shelving, and heavy furniture to walls with brackets and anchors. When storing items, put heavier items on bottom shelves and in bottom drawers.
* Large items such as TV’s, microwaves, fish tanks and appliances can topple off stands and fall on children. Use broad-based carts for TV’s and appliances. Secure carts and appliances to walls. Avoid using pedestal tables to hold heavy items.
I think every parent can relate to some stupid accident that has happened in their home. We forget to put something away or we just don’t realize what could be a hazard. I did all the routine safety suggestions when I had my first child. I put locks on all cupboards, I moved cleaners up high, I put covers on the outlets – but that didn’t prevent a mishap from time to time.
My kids have all been climbers – couches, tables, the kitchen bar, etc. I was always pulling them off of things. We had an accident with my youngest one time. It wasn’t even at my house. He was at his friend’s house. They were watching a dinosaur movie and acting like dinosaurs. Their play got a little rough and my son fell backwards and hit his head on the corner of a coffee table. Of course, I was freaked out when his friend’s mom called me. After a trip to the emergency room and some stitches – they were back to being best buds. I guess my point is – do the best you can. Look for obvious dangers in your house and take care of them. Know that you’ll never catch all problems and don’t beat yourself up if an accident does happen. Honestly, it’s part of being a parent. Good luck, Steveamber, and stay safe.
-Jenny
Unfortunately no neighborhood is completely immune to crime. However, there are steps you can take to help keep your family and your neighborhood safe.
* Know where your children are. Have your children tell you or ask permission before leaving the house and give them a time to check in or be home. When possible, have them leave a phone number of where they will be.
* Help children learn important phone numbers. Practice reciting their home phone number and address, and your work and cell phone numbers.
* Set limits on where your children can go in your neighborhood. Do you want them crossing busy roads? Playing in alleys or abandoned buildings? Are there certain homes in your neighborhood that you don’t want your children to go to?
* Get to know your children’s friends. Meet their parents before letting your children go to their home and keep a list of their phone numbers. If you can’t meet their parents, call and talk to them. Ask what your children might do at their house and if they will be supervised.
* Choose a safe house in your neighborhood. Pick a neighbor’s house where your children can go if they need help.
* Work together with your neighbors. Watch out for suspicious and unusual behavior in your neighborhood. Get to know your neighbors and their children so you can look out for one another.
I’ve lived in my neighborhood for 14 years. I love it here. I know most of my neighbors, we have good schools and feel quite safe. My friend gave me a website to go to – she said that it would help me be aware of the crimes in my area. To be honest, I was quite shocked to find out what was really going on in my neighborhood. Here’s the website link so that you can check out what’s happening around you: http://www.criminalcheck.com/
This website is quite cool. All you have to do is type in your zip code and then you can view a map or list of the criminals in your area. I think that it’s a great help to families and will help us be safer. It definitely provides a way that we can start a dialog with our children about being aware and not too trusting of people – even if they are our next door neighbors. One other program that I’ve been involved in for several years is McGruff. Talk to you school and see what you need to do to become a McGruff house. Awareness and education are the best safety tools!
-Jenny
An Amber Alert was issued for a missing 3-year-old DeKalb County boy Wednesday.
Investigators said the child, Evan Luangsobath, may be in danger.
His babysitter was supposed to drop him off at a daycare facility in Tucker Tuesday afternoon, but they never showed up.
Police are searching for the babysitter — 45-year-old Jeffrey Strickland. Officers believe the suspect may be mentally unstable.
Officers believe Strickland may be in a tan Toyota Sienna with Georgia tag AZZ-8605.
 Authorities in Valley, Ala., are searching for blond, brown-eyed Brandi Michelle Weldon, 15, who has been missing since Wednesday morning.
An Amber Alert has been issued for the teen, who “may be in need of medical attention,” according to the alert.
Read more: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2010/04/01/1072081/amber-alert-issued-for-brandi.html#ixzz0k0Yv7S0o
- Jenny
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