Jodie Norton shares the story of how the simple “trick” she taught her kids saved the lives of her 2 boys.
It was an oversight on her part
One morning, while Jodie was getting ready to take her boys to school, she was suddenly hit by a sharp pain near her left ovary, which was eventually found to be a ruptured ovarian cyst. The pain was so unbearable, she had to go to the ER to get it checked out. To make things easier, she decided to take her boys to the hospital while she asked one of her neighbors to take them to school.
Blaming it on the pain, and her confusion, she initially thought that the neighbor would be there within 5 minutes, since her neighbor lived nearby, but he actually came from a place that’s further away. That’s why, she didn’t expect that he would arrive 40 minutes later. It was an oversight on her part.
Eventually, she found out about the terrifying experience that happened to her boys while they were waiting for their neighbor right outside the ER.
Adults don’t ask kids for help
They told her that while they were waiting on the bench outside the ER, they were approached by an adult female and 2 “punk looking” males who asked if they could “help them out by going into the bathroom where her boyfriend was hiding from the doctor and see if they could convince him to come out and get treated.”
Her older child, CJ, who was 10, politely said no.
However, they were insistent, and told them once more, “Please? You could really save his life if you’d just go in that bathroom and tell him it’s safe to come out.”
CJ then replied “no, thank you,” three more times before their neighbor came and finally picked them up. Then, they saw a man come out of the bathroom, joined the three adults who were talking to them, and then drove off.
Her son then told her that he said no because of a family rule that she talked to her kids about a long time ago. He shared, “I knew they were tricky people because they were asking us for help. Adults don’t ask kids for help.”
Thankfully, her son remembered the safety tips that she taught them, and he potentially saved their lives.
Don’t call them strangers, call them “tricky people”
According to Patty Fitzgerald, creator of the “tricky people” concept, and creator of “Safely Ever After,” parents shouldn’t teach their kids to be scared of strangers, but instead teach them about “tricky people” or strangers whom they can’t trust.
Here are a few guidelines for teaching your kids about “tricky people”:
- Adults don’t ask help from kids if they really need help, they ask other adults. If an adult goes up to your kid and asks them for help with something, your kid should politely, but strongly, say no. Adults don’t ask kids for help if they need help, so this is an immediate red flag.
- If an adult gives favors to just one specific child, it’s another red flag. If a stranger tries to single out a child by giving them favors or gifts then it’s another red flag as it seems that they’re specifically targeting a child for a potentially dangerous reason.
- Someone trying to become physical with your child. Anyone who wants to tickle, hug, or touch your child without their consent is another “tricky person.” Your kids should give a firm no to someone who’s trying to do this.
- Someone trying to spend time alone with your child. If an adult insists on spending time alone with your child, then that’s another “tricky” person. Make sure to teach your kid these red flags so that they can keep themselves safe.
Source: familyshare.com, safelyeverafter.com
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