Help Keep Your Child Safe - Take 25 Minutes to Educate

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children encourages families to “Take 25“, to sit down with your children for just 25 minutes - talking to kids about ways to be safer. On their site you can find educational materials for parents, and tips on how to talk with your kids about these sensitive subjects.

They offer 25 tips to help you get the conversation started, including:

1. Teach your children their full names, address, and home telephone number. Make sure they know your full name.
2. Make sure your children know how to reach you at work or on your cell phone.
3. Teach your children how and when to use 911 and make sure your children have a trusted adult to call if they’re scared or have an emergency.
4. Instruct children to keep the door locked and not to open the door to talk to anyone when they are home alone. Set rules with your children about having visitors over when you’re not home and how to answer the telephone.
5. Choose babysitters with care. Obtain references from family, friends, and neighbors. Once you have chosen the caregiver, drop in unexpectedly to see how your children are doing. Ask children how the experience with the caregiver was and listen carefully to their responses.

Take 25 was started to commemorate National Missing Children’s Day on May 25th. First proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, the day serves as an annual reminder to the nation to renew efforts to reunite missing children with their families, remember those who are still missing, and make child protection a national priority. It’s a time of reflection and renewed hope for millions of families in communities across the country.

Additional Resources:

• Child Safety Resources for Parents & Guardians
• NetSmartz - Help keep your children safe online.

Take 25 minutes to visit the site right now.