Headline news is filled with Images from a world we have never known and concerns we have never wanted to face. Questions are endless: When do we begin to arm our kids against danger? How do children respond to scary Images? How safe is my child at school? – These concerns define the family today. Take these four actions to position yourself with the knowledge needed to be your child’s first line of defense.

*Know the Facts* We surely live in a rapid-fire Information Age. However, too many facts fall between the lines of our 24-7 headline news. Attend programs on safety at your child’s school. -Participate in sessions hosted by the local police department. -Hear about the newest computer filters at the PTA meeting. You will learn, for example, that we must go beyond talking about stranger danger because the majority of molesters are people known to the child. -Or, instead of forcing your child to Give Aunt Clara a kiss, you will learn to end the once-a-year-visit with a smile so a child practices drawing boundaries for his personal space. – When you shop for music with your teen, you may be surprised to learn that sanitized version CDs are tucked away in a back corner of the store, far from the major display. -Take every opportunity to learn about your child’s world and the dangers she faces.

*Know Your Child* Development Impacts the way our children understand and respond to danger, and we should be adept to equip our children appropriately. Young children, for example, do not have an accurate sense of time or space. -If they watch a report about a sniper, they may fear the person is next door, even though the incident was in the next state. -We must keep children away from media scenes which can be frightening and confusing. -We must also avoid watching disturbing news when they are around, because although young children do not read books, they do read emotions. In the early elementary years, fears are reality-tested. -My children discovered that yellow police tape around the quick shop indicated a murder investigation was still in progress when they went to school one morning. -During thesis years, facts may trigger physical symptoms, including stress, tears and stomach-ache has. Remind your child of the many ways you work to keep him safe. Pre-adolescents typically talk less with parents and more with friends. -However, even though thesis teenagers may talk less to us, they think a lot about what we tell them. -By this time, personal experience influences their definition of danger. -Although the word violence triggers Images of guns and knives, research shows that 8-12 year olds are more afraid of emotional cruelty. -Listen carefully as your teen shares bits and pieces about her world at school. -Sift rumors from facts.

*Know Your Child’s School* Partner with educators so that school is a safe haven. In recent years, disaster preparedness and violence prevention has become a major and sometimes controversial focus of school administrators. -Peer mediation, anti-bullying curricula, and anger management programs are increasingly common. Lockdowns, which keep students in classrooms for safety, may be implemented if an intruder is on the grounds or an armed person is in the building. Some parents feel lock downs subject students to unnecessary stress. -A secret codeword, broadcast on the intercom, may signal a potentially dangerous situation. -However, parent volunteers and substitute teachers are not always aware of crisis signals and events. -More schools are co-operating with community-wide emergency preparedness drills. -Yet some parents feel such participation takes too much time away from academics. Regardless of the specifics, violence prevention and crisis management will continue to be a part of school life. -Even Miss America 2003, Erika Harold, has issued a national call to action, challenging all segments of society to tackle bullying, the element of violence which she faced in school. -As programs and plans emerge on the educational front, stay up-to-date on strategies to protect your child.

*Know the Times* Americas Immunity from violence and danger has been lost even shattered in the past two years. We have learned some sad and sober truths from the tragic events of September 11, the highly publicized child abductions in the summer of 2002, and the DC sniper case of last fall. We cannot guarantee our children absolute safety, yet we know that children should not be bombarded with violent news reports and deadly Images. -We know that we must be honest with our children about legitimate risks, but have learned that children can be frightened when they see adults whom they love express raw emotions. We want our children to experience a safe and happy development to live the best of times but know that in many ways thesis are the worst of times. Most importantly, we have reminded that we cannot be so obsessed by tragedy, so fearful of danger, that we lose the hope we have as a Christian parent. In Jeremiah 29:11 God reminds us, I will bless you with a future filled with hope. – In uncertain times, that is the one certainty to which we can and should always cling. Online Christian Counseling is a nice way to get suggestions.