The following facts are alarming but "A child's first teacher is their parent" and the following strategies and tips are very important to protect our children and keep them safe!
FACT: 1 in 4 children are molested before age 18, and 90% are known by the family or are family members.
FBI STATISTIC: 44% of abducted children are dead in one hour. 75% are dead in 3 hours.
FACT: ID cards, fingerprints, DNA kits, the Amber Alert, and tracking devices do nothing what-so-ever to prevent children from becoming missing.
FACT: Child safety and protection education goes beyond "Stranger Danger" and ID bracelets used in most education programs and schools. It is a personal and family matter.
FACT: Responsible parents who try hard to raise well-behaved children can actually set them up for exploitation. Their value system of good kids can make them ideal victims.
FACT: A child's first teacher is their parent.
I remember reading that last fact above when my daughter was born and taking that to heart. Teaching her the basics was easy and fun. She grew to a toddler, than to a preschooler very quickly and I soon realized the outside world was having more of an influence on her as I enrolled her in preschool, hired babysitters and took her to Sunday School.
I remember hearing news reports about child abductions and child abuse but thought it could never happen to my daughter. After all I was extra careful about who she was with and I was with her the rest of the time to keep her safe and protected. I didn't know I was leaving out the most important part of her education by not teaching her how to protect herself from harm when I wasn't with her and the reality of how a child predator lures parents and children into trusting them every day.
I have since become aware of how clever child molesters and predators are. All age groups are targeted by child predators. Can you think of any job more important than protecting and saving our children? I guess not, because you care enough to read this article.
Respect your elders. If an adult tells you to do something, do it! One youngster said his molester constantly reminded him, "I'm the grown-up and you're the kid. You better do what I say." According to a 7 year old, who was molested by a family member, she thought because her molester was an adult, he could not have been wrong. Later she decided, "I must have been very bad and this was my punishment." It is essential that parents teach their children to respect and obey authority, but do your children know about the misuse of authority?
Have you discussed with your child righteous indignation? Your child should know that if an adult (teacher, relative, coach) suggests something wrong-by touching them sexually or showing them pornographic pictures-they have your permission to say emphatically "No!" and it is okay to scream or run away if the adult persists. Don't assume they will know that to do in this kind of situation. Tell them. Role playing works very well with young children to help them understand what you are talking about or you can use puppets.
Don't be a tattletale. This is a value used by molesters. A molesting adult will often use physical or psychological threats to increase a child's reluctance to tell. Could your child be victimized because of a good kid's code of honor? "I promised I wouldn't tell!" A parent needs to sit their child down and say, "if anybody ever touches you and makes you uncomfortable -tell me. I don't care who it is-Daddy, Uncle, Grandpa, a neighbor, you tell me. We will make sure it doesn't happen again." It's a tough thing for any parent to say, but it has to be said. Should a child start to object to every good-bye kiss from a relative, find out why and remember a child has a right to say no to a kiss.
For more important information for safeguarding your child from sexual predators go to Annie Samuels' Child Safety Tips blog at http://child-safety-protection.blogspot.com/ and let me know what you think.
This is the gas mask issued to Israeli civilians when threatened with chemical attack by Saddam's Iraq. It has full NBC (neuclear, biological, chemical) protection, and comes with one sealed filter. Mask is new, unissued cond. and has hydration port (comes with drinking straw but not canteen cap) Also good to have around for protection against smoke, paint spray, grinding dust, etc. These are the same masks that some were selling for $200-300 after 9/11. Note; U.S. sales only, no export. Please note that since we have no means of testing, or data from Israeli manufacturer, we cannot guaranty degree of protection, against all possible sources of contamination, or how long filter will last under various conditions (denser contamination means less time). we can only guaranty that mask and filter are in new cond.
Witness one of nature's most spectacular transformations up close with this reusable, collapsible habitat. Fine, transparent mesh lets you see butterfly metamorphosis up close. Product includes easy-to-use feeder and complete instructions for habitat. Butterfly larvae with food shipped directly to your home. The habitat collapses for storage when not in use. You can adopt and raise a handful of caterpillars, watch them transform into painted lady butterflies, then lift the garden cover to release your beautiful specimens into the wild. This exciting habitat makes a fabulous introduction to the miracles of nature. The larvae and food available round the year.
Pampers Baby Dry disposable diapers let you fit it and forget it! Features soft Koala Fit Grips that allow you to adjust and re-adjust until you get a secure fit that makes you and baby happy. Pampers Baby Dry have double-thick leg cuffs to help prevent leaks, while the Breathable cloth-like cover helps keep baby's skin dry. Features Sesame Street characters on top front of diapers.
Puma, a global athletic footwear giant has done it again with its latest creation. An innovative low-profile cup sole paired with smooth leather upper creates a fashionable, modern twist on the everyday sneaker.
Disney's 50th full-length animated feature film, Tangled is a visually appealing, music-filled adventure full of romance and humor. The movie focuses on Rapunzel, a girl with long magical hair who's lived her entire life imprisoned in a tower by her greedy mother. Naturally optimistic and acquiescent, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) rarely complains about her circumstances, but for her 18th birthday she longs to leave the tower to see the floating lights that appear every year on her birthday. Her mother (Donna Murphy) refuses her request, but when thief Flynn Ryder (Zachary Levi) climbs the tower to escape his pursuers, Rapunzel (once she's conked him on the head with a skillet multiple times) impulsively decides to trust the young man and convinces him to help her escape to see the floating lights. Thus begins a journey that alternates quite schizophrenically between optimistic excitement and guilty remorse that will ultimately change Rapunzel's and Flynn's lives forever. Tangled is a masterful blend of humor, adventure, passion, and drama combined with a great musical score and top-notch animation. The Real 3-D effects add to the experience but probably won't really be missed in other formats. Best of all, Disney presents a princess who matures from a meek and compliant girl into a spunky young woman who's not afraid to pursue her dreams and risk it all for love--now that's a Disney princess worth emulating. (Ages 6 and older) --Tami Horiuchi
The brand new GYRO S107 3.5CH Mini RTF RC Helicopter comes with the greatest advancement in Helicopter Technology, a Gyro. No more crashing, no more replacing parts, the GYRO has changed the Helicopter industry completely, making this RC Helicopter super easy to fly and maneuver. Great for people of all skill levels, this bad boy features a coaxial rotor a single rear rotor for precise movement and a GYRO for increased stability whether flying or hovering. This RC helicopter has a metal body making it strong yet light weight so you don't have to worry about breaking anything when you land it a bit too rough. It can go forward, backward, up, down, left, right and hover. What really makes the Mini GYRO S107 stand out is the built in gyroscope making it automatically stabilize allowing you to focus on flying instead of trying not to make it crash. This product is ready to run, there is no assembly required. Just put in 6 AA batteries into the transmitter/charger and charge the helicopter and you are good to go. Small enough to fit on the palm of your hand, be the coolest kid on the block by getting the GYRO S107 3.5CH Mini RTF RC Helicopter! --Colors may vary depending upon availability.