June 2006 Newsletter

Protecting our Children

Children are precious gifts that bring such incredible joy into our lives. In addition to joy, they bring a tremendous responsibility to us as parents, who early on provide them with 100% of their needs: they depend on us to teach them about almost everything in their lives. As they grow and mature, they become less dependent and more independent and interdependent. As they mature from infancy, they go through stages where we must teach them age-appropriate information about relationships, right from wrong, ethics, the birds and the bees, living safely in the world, etc. Throughout a child’s life, we are their primary source of modeled behavior, and the means by which to learn about life.

WHAT HAPPENS IN NATURE

If you think about it, without fail, every single parent in the animal kingdom teaches their young about dangers and predators in their environment. It is either instinctual, learned, or both, but certainly necessary to help protect and insure the safety of their offspring. If the young in the wild are not taught basic survival skills, quite simply they will not live very long. For humans, it is not really that different, except that we are not (in general) preyed upon for food. Predators in the human world are deviants that look to take advantage of our children and rob them of their innocence and sometimes their lives.

EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR MEANS

We simply cannot afford to do anything less than “everything within our means” to provide our children with the very best safety education and strategies available. It is, however, a daunting task and challenge to gather the best and most up-to-date safety information in complete and comprehensive age-appropriate formats. We cannot assume, nor depend on our schools or TV programs to do our work for us. Additionally, information and education needs to be on-going. Even as our children become young adults, we need to continually share the latest and newest safety information available as we learn about them ourselves.

Predators today are both masterful and manipulative and have available to them technology that simply did not exist when we were children. Many parents are both naïve about and intimidated by computers, and even the complexity of our own cell phones. These are the everyday tools of predators and they know how to penetrate the sanctity of our very own homes to reach our children. John Walsh, of “America’s Most Wanted”, in a recent TV interview referred to the Internet as a “virtual game reserve” for the child predator/molester. Unfortunately, these tools have made the job of accessing our children easier and they are here to stay.

VIGILANCE VERSUS FEAR

We cannot, nor should we live in a fear-based state or pass on that fear to our children. Animals in the wild learn about predators and do NOT live in fear, rather they learn to be alert in their environment, to be vigilant and pay attention to their surroundings. We could say that the animal parents empower their offspring to be safe with the awareness and safety strategies they are taught. If an animal is capable of being empowered in these ways, we should certainly be able, and in fact need, to empower our children within our own daily environment. However, certain parenting strategies and education we learned from our own parents (that were modeled to us as children growing up) are not necessarily effective in today’s environment. For instance, the home computer, Internet, and chatrooms were not even an idea years ago and now they are a permanent part of everyday life.

In addition, the concept of “Stranger Danger” is not only obsolete, but also totally ineffective. A child’s brain, since it has not fully matured, does not function like an adult brain and simply cannot understand the concept of “stranger”. A child meets many new people almost daily, often while they are with their parents, who may be friendly with them. Who then is a safe “stranger” and who is not? Is a child to live in fear of all such “strangers”? What is a parent to do here?

COMPREHENSIVE, AGE-APPROPRIATE SAFETY

Well, after nearly 3 years and thousands of safety programs presented around the country to women, providing the most up to date safety information, teaching the latest and best safety strategies and offering the best quality safety products available, we created an “awesome” children’s program. Concerned parents asked us if we could provide the same comprehensive, quality safety programs for their children, and after extensive research we have made available a Kidz Safety Program, which includes the ”Safe Kidz Kit”. For ages 4-12, we offer age-appropriate safety strategies and skills in modules that children learn and integrate immediately. Our program teaches safety strategies and skill sets to empower children without being fear-based. These new skills bring about a confidence and new awareness of behaviors that alert children to something or someone in their environment that seems “wrong.” Parents, we’ve made it easy for you to provide your children with the best safety information available by creating this complete and comprehensive program!

UNIQUE AND AFFORDABLE

No one else offers anything like it. We designed the program to be learned in an interactive, live setting and then to be continued at home with you and rehearsed periodically. We have included necessary items like a DNA/dental/sniff kit, moisture proof shoe tags, 4 important Internet software programs, Internet “contracts”, a study workbook, important “must-know” statistics, etc., and most importantly, a state-of-the-art, wallet-sized compact disc ( a “CD/ID” ) that stores vital information, including pictures and even video capability of your child. Not only that, but the program is very affordable, and you can help your favorite organization (PTA, Girl/Boy Scouts, band, cheerleaders, soccer, little league, 4H, etc.) or church present the program as a fund-raiser. Contact us at seminars@KSEG.org, or call tool free at 1-800-318-8037 to inquire about, or schedule a Kidz seminar.

We are also currently expanding nationally, looking for both Trainers to present our programs and Coordinators to book programs, so if you would be interested in exploring this opportunity with either WSEG or KSEG, please email us: jobs@WSEG.org or jobs@KSEG.org.

An important safety tip for all parents:

Should your child become lost or missing, contact the police IMMEDIATELY! Unlike adults, there is NO time period that must pass before notifying the authorities. Additionally, you need to provide the police with necessary vital stats about your child and a recent picture. Time is of the essence and the first few hours are critical. This is not a time to be fumbling for this information and pictures. Invest in a Safe Kidz Kit and have this important information literally at your fingertips.

Mark Spencer, MA, S.A.F.E.

© Copyright 2006 S.A.F.E. All rights reserved.