Protect Your Children

I watched Oprah today about Elizabeth Smart and other children who have been abducted, and I was reminded that I needed to talk to my children about those kinds of dangers. I had a long talk with Josh about what to do if he ever gets scared or anyone tries to take him or hurt him. Elizabeth Smart's father said something on the show that was a good idea, and I wanted to pass it on... He said to ask your children to show you HOW they would react if someone tried to take them or hurt them. He said to have them practice their screams. I thought this was a great idea, because we spend so much time telling our children (well, at least I do) to keep the volume down! They're taught to be quiet and respectful, and I think it's important that we make sure they are also comfortable with making a lot of noise if they need to.

I asked Josh to show me his loudest scream that he would use if he was being abducted. He was extremely uncomfortable with the idea of yelling, and it took a lot of prodding to convince him it was okay to yell. I'm so glad I did this with him, and I'm going to have him practice more often. It might seem like a strange thing to do, but it's so important.

There are a couple of bills/acts (whatever they're called) that Ed Smart is trying to get passed to protect children. If you'd like to find out how you can help, go here:

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20080826_tows_resources