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Keeping Children Safe 14 ~ Don't Make Your Child A Target

By
Services for Real Estate Pros

I need to start this particular post by saying  ~

No Parent Deserves To Have Their Child Kidnapped.

Please keep in mind, I am not writing this to judge the parents of this beautiful child. Things are done different in other countries. I hope and pray that this little angel is found safe and reunited with her parents soon.

I'm writing this in response to a piece Good Morning America right here in the United States after Madeleine's kidnapping. They had a reporter ask parents if they ever leave their children alone... When I saw this piece I saw RED.

One man said if his child was sleeping in the car seat, he would lock the car with the engine running and run into the store.

They talked to more parents after this man, however I was so angered by what I just heard I couldn't hear anymore.

DON'T MAKE YOUR CHILD A TARGET

At Christmas time last year, a lady in AZ pulled up to the valet parking at Neiman Marcus in a mall, grabbed her DOG and left her 3 yr old sleeping in the car seat. She told the valet to "watch him and don't tell anyone" she'll be right back. 30 minutes later he called the police, 45 minutes later she came out arms full of packages and the dog to the waiting police and was promptly arrested, after trying to resist. She did nothing wrong, she left the child with the valet, why should she be arrested? Once this news came out someone at a Starbucks said she often does the same thing there. She had 2 counts of child neglect against her, but I never heard what happened.

When a couple decides to bring a child into this world they take on the biggest responsibility in the world, the life of a human being. That responsibility includes the safety of that child at all times.

DON'T MAKE YOUR CHILD A TARGET

How many times have you heard on the news of a car being stolen with a sleeping child in the back seat?

Approximately 270,000 children are kidnapped a year in the United States. That averages out to 758 kids per day.

58,000 of those kidnappings are non family related. 56% are recovered alive.
Numbers taken from The National Center For Missing And Exploited Children, 2002 statistics.

DON'T LET YOUR CHILD BECOME A STATISTIC

Don't leave your child unattended in a car.

Don't turn you back on your child in a stroller or a shopping cart in a store.

Keep Your Children Safe this is a site I just found while researching the statistics. It has some good information on child safety.

 

Sarah Cooper
Real Estate Shows - Hurricane, WV

Thanks for this one, Lysa.  I loved it when "pay at the pump" came out at gas stations.  I worked at a bank then and told the owners of the Mom and Pop place where I fueled up (customers of the bank) that I really appreciated it, now I didn't have to pull a sleeping child out of a car seat to go in and pay.  They'd never even thought of that part of it, and they felt really good about being able to offer this "new feature" to their customers.  They had young grandkids and knew how important this was.  If you wouldn't leave a pile of cash sitting out unattended, don't leave your child either.  (Because I know the child is worth more than the money!)

I'm glad you're doing these posts again, Lysa.  This is a valuable thing you're doing. 

May 19, 2007 01:13 AM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL
Sarah, you know I never even thought of that either. When "paying at the pump" though, please take your keys from the vehicle. I also heard recently that a lot of cars are being stolen from gas stations (in big cities like Atlanta) while the driver is paying at the pump!
Thanks for the positive feedback Sarah! This was a hard one to write.
May 19, 2007 01:23 AM
Neal Bloom
Brokered by eXp Realty LLC - Weston, FL
Realtor CRS-Weston FL Real Estate

Lysa,

You are really a great advocate for this and i am glad you take it very seriously.

May 19, 2007 01:25 AM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL
Neal, Thank you, that means a lot!
May 19, 2007 01:29 AM
Christina Ethridge
The North Idaho Dream Team powered by SKE Realty Group - Coeur d'Alene, ID
I don't get why some parents are so laxidaiscal (sp) with their children.  They let them run around stores and parks, unwatched and unattended.  People seem to have this idea that there is a shield around them and nothing will happen, or it won't happen here.  If any of you heard about Joseph Duncan murdering family members and then subsequently kidnapping 2 children a couple of years ago (murdering 1 child) - that was right here in Coeur d'Alene.  People start to 'get' it when it happens close to home.
May 19, 2007 01:43 AM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL

Christina, I posted about Shasta and Dylan in my 4th blog of this series. The "it won't happen to me" mind set is why I started this post. It's happened close enough to me twice (couple hundred miles) first with Polly Klass and then Jessica Lunsford.

I worked with the Lunsford foundation for awhile, doing that, and writing some of these posts takes me into a very dark place that is very scary to me. The anger that builds up while learning details, the emotion and depression, I wish everyone who reads these could feel it. Maybe then some of those people that leave their children unattended would stop doing that.

May 19, 2007 01:57 AM
Randy L. Prothero
eXp Realty - Hollister, MO
Missouri REALTOR, (808) 384-5645
Stories like that make me sick.  Some people should not be parents.  I am glad they brought her up on charges.  Unfortunately she probably did not learn much.  Common sense is hard to teach.
May 19, 2007 03:11 AM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL
Randy, sometimes it amazes me that we need a license to drive a car but ...   You can finish my sentance...
May 19, 2007 03:28 AM
Midori Miller
Talk 2 Midori, LLC - Daytona Beach, FL
Online Marketing For Real Estate Professionals
Lysa-I do not judge this family...I really feel for them!  Thank you for posting this, I have only been watching glimpses of this.  
May 20, 2007 05:44 AM
Bob Sloop, Consultant, Indianapolis, IN
RS Mortgage Consulting - Indianapolis, IN

Lysa, nice job, again, and again and again....keep them coming, as the story needs to be told.  Thank you for being here and doing what you do.

May 20, 2007 10:40 AM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL
Thanks Bob, yes it does, I wish it didn't have to be told.
May 20, 2007 11:00 AM
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL
Midori, like I said in the post, I pray she is found safe.
May 20, 2007 11:02 AM
Anonymous
me

Hi  - just came across your blog while looking up safety guidelines for children. I think those who harm children are the scum of the earth. Storiess about these helpless little kids break my heart...leave me feeling angry,helpless, sad. I wish I had the power to give the death penalty to paedos and rapists and criminals like these around the world. Thanks for your efforts in posting such useful info. For my part, I also keep my family and friends and people I know informed about how to safeguard their children and if they see other parents/people endangering the life of a child, to be aware of it and report it to authorities. Will there ever be a day where the weak and the helpless aren't exploited...one can only hope and pray that such a day comes soon. Thanks again for the commendable job you've done and wish you the best!

Sep 27, 2010 04:31 PM
#13
Lysa Napolitano
Daytona Beach, FL

Thank you for the kind words! The more the word gets spread the more I hope it helps but sometimes those we want to keep safe are just too little to stand up for themselves. I'd like to see the bad people burned at the stake myself! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!

Sep 28, 2010 09:27 AM