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Our Kid's Safety
So I had the scariest moment of my life today......
This morning I told my son that he would be picked up by our neighbor and close friends, and I would come get him after work (my day job)....he's not crazy about our neighbors kid, she's kind of slow and has a crush on him, so he complained all morning long about it. Tough shit though, right? I have to work and I don't have a sitter, so suck it up.....
I got a call after school let out from my neighbor, here's how that went....
"B, don't be mad at me, okay?"
"What's up?"
"You know Mike*, the boy in your kiddo's class, the one who's dad I always see you talking to?"
"yah"
"K well, I guess your kid asked Mike* if he could go to his house, and I turned and looked and they were all crossing the street together, so I said Where are you going? and his dad, I think his name is Dan*? said 'Oh, he's going to come with us, don't worry, B knows me."
"Where's my son?"
"Well he went with them to get a slurpee...."
"Did you get his number?"
"No, I thought you had it"
>:(
K, dingbat let my kid go with this guy, who I don't even know! The only reason we talk at the school is because I ran into him one night at a bar while he was tanked! I was PISSED! I didn't have his number he didn't have mine, she had no idea where he lived, etc.... WTF?!?!?!
So after I ripped her a new a-hole, my kiddo finally shows up at home....he's WAY grounded!!!!!
But the point of my post is this..... Because of our past (my psycho ex) my son and I have a code word...it's a phrase that no one else could guess, and only we know. So if someday something happened to me and I needed someone to go get him, they would have to know the code word for him to leave with that person. And if some day someone came to my son, even if it were someone he were familiar with and said "hey, you need to come with me, you're mom said it was okay..." He is SUPPOSED to ask them, "what's the code word?" and if they don't know it he is to go IMMEDIATLY to a teacher or another grown up or the office.
Do you other mom's use this? If not, you should start. I obviously need to re-inforce this with my kiddo, but I had it when I was growing up, in fact I still remember mine! It is the biggest and most important secret you will ever share with your child. The majority of child abductions take place between the child and someone they are familiar with.
It's aweful that we live in world this cary, but we do...so mom's please make sure you take precautions!
K, done ranting now......
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Re: Our Kid's Safety
thats a good reminder thank you. You must have been so scared I am sorry you had to go threw that. Rosie odonald talked about this on the view and i rember she said one they used the F U as there pass word i thought that was a good one becuse it can't be quessed noone would expect that would be the pass word.
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Re: Our Kid's Safety
Advice from a teacher: I've seen a gazillion times that a kid goes home with a friend, doesn't show up at home, and the parents, quite naturally, freak. Considering the kidnappings and so forth that happen these days, I can't blame them.
If you contact the school, they will help. They won't give you the other parent's phone (privacy issues) number, but they will call him and ask if your son is there. If not, they will start calling your son's other friends until they locate him. At least, that is what we would have done at my school.
In this case, you are ahead because you know the person with whom he left.
A code word is great, but it only works if your kid uses it. In this case, it was his idea to go home with his friend, not the friend's father misrepresenting himself as someone to pick him up.
Good luck. Being a single parent is not an easy road. You sound responsible and caring. I wish there were more parents like you. Some don't give a sh*t if or when their kid comes home.