"Make It A Habit With Zero Exceptions From Day One": 23 Parents Are Revealing The Little-Known Safety Tips They're Teaching Their Kids
That's why when TikTok user @paigecatherinejoh said, "Tell me something you teach your kids to help keep them safe. I'm not talking about 'Don't talk to strangers.' Give me some good stuff..." Thousands of parents flooded the comments with the unique, and in some cases, "controversial" ways they keep their kids safe. From secret codes to situational awareness — here are 23 of their most helpful responses:
If you have any creative or little-known methods of keeping kids safe, feel free to tell us using this anonymous form!
1."My phone number is the password to my kids' tablet. That way they have it memorized, and know to look for a mom with kids or an employee at a front desk if they need to use it."
—stinie17
2."I've taught my kids that in an emergency situation, 'Don't tell the cops anything but tell the paramedics everything.'"
—tracimcree
3."In our home, our kids can't go swimming unless mom or dad gives them a high five first. That way, we always know when they are going in the water."
—paigemiksys
4."My kids and I have a code for when they're invited somewhere, but don't want to go. It's 'Did you clean the bathroom?' If they answer 'Yes,' it means they want to go, and 'No' means they don't."
"If they answer 'No,' I step in and be the 'bad guy' who won't let them do whatever it is they don't actually want to do."
—dennisdamenace2.0
5."We save family members in our phone under the names our kids call them instead of what we call them. So, for example, if something happens, they can grab our phones and say, 'Hey Siri, call Nana.'"
—lemonsandlacellc
6."Sometimes I pretend to forget how to get home from my job or from their school and ask them to direct me home. That way, I know they could find their house if needed."
"They are never alone and know their address, but my 'mom brain' always thinks about the worst case scenario."
—bp115
7."Our rule is 'Touch the car.' As SOON as kids can walk, teach them that they must touch/hold a specific spot on the car when you're loading and unloading. Our spot was the fuel tank door."
"Make it a habit with zero exceptions from day one. Parking lots are a maze of drivers who can't see little kids in front of or behind them."
—raising2wildthings
8."Get inserts for your kids' shoes that hide AirTags. Kidnappers will always change their clothes, but they almost never change their shoes."
"Don't tell your kids about it, though, because they can't tell what they don't know."
—katysaidso
9."Instead of just telling my kid, 'Don't talk to strangers,' I quiz her with 'if' situations, such as 'If an adult asks you to help them find their dog, what would you do?'"
"That way, I can gauge her answer and tell her exactly what to do in specific situations."
—amanda.marie.martin
10."No secrets. We've taught our kids that if an adult ever asks them to keep a secret, they come straight to Mama or Dada. It might ruin the occasional surprise or game from a well-intentioned friend or family member, but it keeps them safe from the terrible things most likely to be done by someone you know and trust."
"Tell your kids that there is no reason an adult should ever ask them to keep a secret, ESPECIALLY if they aren't supposed to tell their parents."
—benyo525
11."I've always told my kids that a grown-up isn't going to ask a child for help. If anything, they'd ask a child to get another grown-up."
—annavi73
12."I told my toddler if she ever finds a pill on the ground, she can give it to mommy or daddy and get whatever candy she wants in return!"
—wardgrace
13."I have taught my kids it's okay to talk back (respectfully)! Especially when it comes to family members who think it's fine to be disrespectful to kids because they think they should just take it."
"My rule is, 'If you give respect, you get respect.' I don't care about your age."
—bakerterri
14."Instead of saying 'Stay where I can see you,' I tell my kids, 'Stay where you can see me.' If they can see me, I can see them."
"I feel like little kids don't always know where/when the adult can or can't see them but they always know if they can or can't see the adult."
—julescanterbury
15."Teaching your daughters, 'Oh he's teasing you because he likes you' is BS! If a boy likes you, he'll treat you with respect. If he's mean to you, he's just a mean boy!"
—acacia.lee1
16."We quiz each other on what everyone is wearing and how to describe who is with us, so 'Mom has glasses, blue shorts, and a Minnie Mouse shirt,' 'Baby sister is wearing a pink dress and pink shoes,' etc. This way, if anyone is lost, we all know how to find them."
—tempestinacupoftea
17."I taught my kids this rhyme: 'This is my body, this is my face, these are my boundaries, this is my space. If you want to hold my hand, you have to ask me first. If you want to give me a hug, you have to ask me first, and when it's my turn, I'll ask you too because you respect me and I respect you.'"
—kaya_ashlyn
18."Not me, but my mom told me about the boys she liked when she was young, the good partners she had, AND the bad ones."
"I feel like I've never made the same relationship mistakes as my mother because she told me about them, so I didn't have to live through them."
—chewiechewbarka
19."Call me paranoid, but I have a binder that contains my kid's birth certificate, social security card, a copy of their passport, their most recent school photo, several strands of hair from their brush with the root attached, a few baby teeth, their last dental x-ray, a set of their fingerprints, and photos of their birth marks as well as their locations."
"It might be overkill, but I'd rather have too much info rather than not enough."
—katysaidso
20."A police officer once told me that if I take my kids out in public with their school uniforms still on, I should cover the school's emblem, and if they're wearing a school jacket, turn it inside out. Strangers don't need to know where your kids go to school."
—emmaliz121521
21."Take a picture of your child before entering any kind of crowded place or event — amusement park, aquarium, fair, etc. God forbid they go missing, but if they do, you have an up-to-date picture to show the authorities, including the exact clothes they were wearing when they disappeared."
—unapologetically_kc_
22."I've taught my kids not to worry about strange people as much as strange behavior. The people most likely to hurt your babies aren't going to be strangers."
—ashleylefty
23."I'm teaching my kids to cuss if someone tries to kidnap them! My kids are not normally allowed to cuss, but if someone tries to take them/grab them, they are supposed to scream and cuss at the top of their lungs."
"When a kid just says 'No' or 'Let go', etc., in public, people might think they're just throwing a tantrum with parents, but if they are screaming, 'I don't know you, get your f*cking hands off me,' etc., heads will turn!"
—sissydenise94
Did any of these kids' safety tips surprise you? What are some creative ways you've kept your children safe? Tell us in the comments or answer anonymously using the form below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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