When my son was three years old I was approached in a store by two elderly ladies. They cautioned me to keep a close eye on my son because of a rash of kidsnatchings that had been in the news.

I listened appreciatively to their warning but I was already very watchful of him. Even so, twice he got out of my sight just long enough to make me nearly panic until he was back with me again.

The fear of having her child snatched away is a nightmare for any mother. An Oprah show pointed out how easy it is for predators to lure away a trusting  child.

What do we tell our children to do if someone approaches them or asks them to go with them? How should they react in this particular emergency situation? You might tell them to:

• Scream, make a lot of noise, create a scene.
• Kick, hit, run away.
• Yell “This is not my mommy, this is not my daddy, I don’t know you.”

It is a shame that we have to tell our kids that there are people who might want to hurt them, but for their own good we must. We don’t want to paralyze them with fear or make them distrust everyone they see, but we must help them to develop their natural instinct that tells them when something is wrong. Giving them permission to make a scene could save their lives.

Keeping our children safe,

Mary Taylor, www.theschoolmarm.com