Do you have kids that enjoying going to play at the park, maybe their friends or cousins join as well? Here are some safety tips that are easy to put in place.

To begin with, it’s a bit disappointing to have to think on these levels. We like to think that we live in a safe place, where bad things happen elsewhere but not in our area. But unfortunately we have seen first-hand some unexpected incidents far too close to home. 

There is the dark side that is uncomfortable to talk about. However, if we’re going to keep our family members safe from experiencing scarring incidents then we must be aware so we can have some defenses in place. The violent acts include everything from kidnapping, human trafficking, and rape, to drive-by shootings. Then you have other concerns in public places like individuals on drugs or intoxicated.

Here are some best practices in a playground setting. What adjustments do your places require?

1. It begins with SITUATIONAL AWARENESS and some of the best practices noted here.

2. Keywords for your kids: Have a keyword that you can yell out to your kids on the playground that indicates they should stop what they’re doing and come over to you right away. Perhaps you notice a suspicious person walking from the opposite side of the playground (remember, creating distance is key). For example, you shout out “Scavenger Hunt!” and the kids run your way to see what info you have for them.

3. What if a gunshot is heard nearby? Hopefully you never find yourself in this position, but if you did another key word could be valuable to indicate to the kids that they should get down on the ground until it’s clear. Shout out “Duck, duck, goose!” or any other phrase that is outside what your kids would be playing.

Having a couple keywords in place could help get important messages across seconds faster. It also begins to instill a foundation of safety early on.

Many of the key situational awareness recommendations are on this page, and you can find home safety tips here.