Child Safety - How To Use "Code Words"
Effectively
Author: Thomas Trotts

Did you know that there is a 1 in 42 chance that YOUR child
will become lost, missing, or abducted? In other words...those
are not odds in your favor! To many people have become very
complacent about child safety. They seem to have a "It couldn't
happen to my child" attitude. You can believe that if you ask
any of the parents of missing children, they thought the same
thing. And you can also bet, their attitude has changed
significantly.

What can you do, right now, that will dramatically put those
odds back in your control? Start using "code words" in your
family, today.

Here are the most important basics of using code words. Let's
begin...

Who uses the code word? Other than his/her parents, there
should be only one or two relatives or very close, trusted
family friends that a child should be taught are "special"
enough to trust to pick him/her up from school or some other
activity away from home.

When do you use the code word? If you are not able to pick up
your child at an agreed upon time, and there is no way for you
to contact your child, you should contact the "special person"
to pick up your child. In the rare event that you cannot pick
up your child, and you cannot reach the "special person", the
family code word MUST be used.

What should I use for the family "code word?" The family code
word is a pre-determined word that should be very easy for your
child to remember, but one that would be very difficult for
someone else to guess. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! I will repeat
this: The code word must be simple for your child to remember,
yet very difficult for someone to guess. Some suggestions I
recommend to use would be names of animals, such as, crocodile,
giraffe, baboon, goldfish. DO NOT USE names that are common
around your house. Such as, never use the name of your child's
favorite animal or pet.

Never choose a "code word" that is from things that are common
to your family or house. Be creative, and make this a fun
activity with your children. And be very specific. Don't just
decide on "bear" for your code word, how about using a "purple
bear." Remember, child safety should be fun. You don't want to
frighten your children.

How does my child use the code word system? If anyone other
than yourself, your spouse, or the "special person" say's they
are there to pick up your child on your authority, your child
should know to ask that person, "What's the code word?" You
should teach your child to disbelieve anyone who tries to pick
them up if they do not know the code word.

Do I continue to use the same code word, always? Definately
not! After an emergency situation arises where the code word
must be used, the family needs to pick a new code word.
Emphasize to the children that they should no longer respond to
the old one. Be sure to review the new code word often enough to
help al family members to remember it.

let me conclude this article on child safety by telling you
that code words work. They have saved the lives of many
children. This simple, yet highly effective tool is widely used
by many families. There have been many, many police reports of
children using the code word tool successfuly.

Remember to keep it fun, because keeping it fun, is keeping
your children safe!

Until next time...

Spend some time with the kids, and have an incredible day!


About The Author: Thomas Trotts is a Child Safety expert, owner
of http://www.AlertChildUSA.com , and is dedicated to providing
quality Child Protection Services and resources for parents and
families. To learn more about Child Protection and receive your
free "Parents Guide To Preventing Child Abduction" go to:
http://www.AlertChildUSA.com