I was just interviewed by a local TV station about an attempted abduction of a high school girl. The knee-jerk reaction is to start ranting about how dangerous it is today, and therefore we should hold our kids closer and not let them out of our sight. I disagree.
Data says it is not more dangerous as far as abductions today, and that it is safer than it was 20-30 years ago. And I do not want our kids growing up thinking it is a dangerous world, and that they can’t trust any adults. It pains me to say hi to a little kid in an elevator who looks up at me with anxious eyes and clings tightly to their moms leg. They have already been conditioned to be fearful of all adults, and that is a shame.
Once kids are in grade school, I would educate them about how to respond to an adult who wants them to get into their car etc. But not with all the angst and anxiety most parents bring to their children. Turn off the boob tube and stop listening to the scary news stories that just create a lot of unnecessary fears. Our kids need more unsupervised time outdoors to learn their street smarts and how to take care of themselves out in the real world.
It is not a scary world unless you make it scary.
I would like to add that they also need a drink from the hose on occasion, with a “line”to get that drink