You May Want To Read This If Your Child Walks To School (VIDEO)
School starts back in just a few days. With the kids back in school parents are given relief and a whole new set of worries and stresses to take on. I will just lay it out and say I can be a bit of a helicopter mom. At least that is the rumor around my house. My boys have always been car riders since they started school. When I got the job with WBKR we live close enough to school they both wanted to ride their bikes or walk and after lots of sleepless nights and prayer I reluctantly said "Yes."
I then went into proactive mom mode and began taking the necessary measures to make sure that my children were as safe as I could keep them without following them in my car!
First, I sat my boys down and told him how important it was that we have a plan for them traveling to and from school. Next, we discussed a route that they would both travel at all times. I told them how important it was to never ever get in a car or even approach a car they didn't know. Then we did what I feel is the most important thing any parent can do. I taught them about being aware of their surroundings. Not talking to people in cars, or strangers, or going inside any house. Our family even has a secret word. This word is used only in the event I was to have to send someone else to get my children and they are walking or at home. This person knows the word and it is only specific to us! Lastly, went online to the National Sex Offender Registry for Kentucky and typed in our address. I explained to them what we were doing and that I just wanted to make them fully aware of all that was in their path. I did this not to scare my children or point out another person's mistakes but more so to fully prepare my children for those times when I can't protect them.
I think every parent should visit this site at least once to help them be aware of their surroundings as well. It's a safety mechanism for all. Not only protecting families but also those registered on the site.
My children are my life and keeping them safe and out of harms way is so important to me. I try to take every opportunity to teach them about this world. As young and naive as they are they often think the world is perfect and we all know it is far from it unfortunately!