re: child abductions

Eh, I'm the same way. I am going to always drive my kid to school and pick her up or have someone else do it. I don't care if it makes me paranoid, kids go missing all the time and I will do everything I can to prevent that. I used to walk home from elementary school and I was always fine, but that is not always the case.

Quoting MommaSav2:" <blockquote><b>Quoting crazy coupon lady:</b>" How I live the park is in a circle ... [snip!] ... She's there with other kids, they arent responsible for her. I'm sorry but 4 is way too young to go somewhere without you."

Cause you dont live in canada. I live in a small valley where we leave our doors unlocked when we go out of town. I have lived here since 1986 and I still have the same neighbours for the most part.

My 14 yr old cousin is in garde 10 I think she can handle it.

Quoting crazy coupon lady:" How I live the park is in a circle and the street wraps around it, I am right in front of the park, ... [snip!] ... the next street, she is with other kids and her older sister and cousins who are 10 11, and 14. I dont need to be there. "

You live in a cul-de-sac? I wish we lived in one of those, but our park is right behind our house and our house and you can see it from out kitchen window. I would let my kids do the same... we used to go a block over with my 4 year old brother when we were kids.

Quoting ashleeoh:" Eh, I'm the same way. I am going to always drive my kid to school and pick her up or have someone else ... [snip!] ... I can to prevent that. I used to walk home from elementary school and I was always fine, but that is not always the case."

Yea thats me! even if te percentage of a child abduction by a stranger is .5% i will always be scared because of the fact that the tiniest percentage is to big for me. Its not like we live back in the day where we could play outside and be ok.... times are changing and everytime i look at the news there is another child abduction

Quoting Kayla [ ]♥:" You live in a cul-de-sac? I wish we lived in one of those, but our park is right behind our house and ... [snip!] ... out kitchen window. I would let my kids do the same... we used to go a block over with my 4 year old brother when we were kids."

Ya its kind of like a cul-de-sac, but not completely lol its a circle but two other streets connect to it on either side so its like a street with a big circle in it with a street, I dont know how to explain it. But I look out my window and its bam park right there. lol

<blockquote><b>Quoting crazy coupon lady:</b>" Cause you dont live in canada. I live in a small valley where we leave our doors unlocked when we ... [snip!] ... and I still have the same neighbours for the most part. My 14 yr old cousin is in garde 10 I think she can handle it. "</blockquote>




We live in a nice little suburban town, on a road that loops around to the main road and has nothing but residential homes on it. The town has a pretty non existent crime rate. Still wouldn't do it. Why wouldn't you just go with them?

But I also wouldn't let a 10-12 year old babysit. I only let my 14 year old cousin babysit for a few hours when she was also with her parents. My kids have never had a babysitter who wasn't family, and I don't leave town while my son (kindergarten) is at school either.

Quoting MommaSav2:" <blockquote><b>Quoting crazy coupon lady:</b>" Cause you dont live in canada. I ... [snip!] ... My kids have never had a babysitter who wasn't family, and I don't leave town while my son (kindergarten) is at school either."

Who said anything about leaving town while kids were in school? My 10 yr old babysits the legal standard we have here no problem. My cousin is 14 and she watches my other kids when I need to, like when I had my c-section she watched my then 3 yr old and 9 yr old at my place for a few hrs, while everyone else was at work. I have no issues with it at all. Like I said last abduction her was 8 yrs ago and that was the first one since the 60;s and the abduction was a nb at the hospital from a girl who was pretending to be a nurse and didnt live here.

Quoting diiamondchula:" Yea thats me! even if te percentage of a child abduction by a stranger is .5% i will always be scared ... [snip!] ... where we could play outside and be ok.... times are changing and everytime i look at the news there is another child abduction"

But child abductions were much more common "back in the day." We just didn't have social media to blow everything up.

While I can understand why you are probably a bit more paranoid than others who havent' experienced what you have, I do think that your mindset is a bit extreme (but understandably so, as I said).

My childrens' bus stop is down the street and right around the corner from my house and they walk home from it every day by themselves (with their friends). I would even be comfortable with them walking alone. I will say that I live in a safe neighborhood, in a little subdivision that does not have alot of through traffic so I can't say that I'd feel the same level of comfort under different circumstances.

There are risks in every single thing that we do and we can't live our lives in fear and hold our children back due to our fears. We have to always weigh the risks vs benefits when it comes to allowing our children freedom and independence. We have to teach them how to keep themselves safe and we have to teach them how to react if they are ever faced with an attempted abduction or other things of that nature. The thought of having a child abducted is absolutely horrifying and I can't even imagine something like that happening, but at the same time, I don't want my kids to live in fear of it happening and I don't want them to miss out on just being a kid and learning independence. You just have to use common sense and not allow them to be exposed to obviously dangerous situations and environments. Encourage them to walk home in large groups because the chance of a potential abductor approaching a large group of children is slim.

You are being overly paranoid.

Have you received counseling to deal with what happened to you as a child? If not, I would.

Sheltering your child because of your own fears can be very detrimental to them in the long run.

Quoting speaktruth2powr:" You are being overly paranoid. Have you received counseling to deal with what happened to you as a ... [snip!] ... as a child? If not, I would. Sheltering your child because of your own fears can be very detrimental to them in the long run."

It wasnt her child though. A freinds child that walks there after the bus.

But I agree. Although I never did any kind of counceling for all the smurf I went through, I made peace with it and am not paranoid at all. But where I live makes up the difference as well.

Quoting crazy coupon lady:" It wasnt her child though. A freinds child that walks there after the bus. But I agree. Although ... [snip!] ... all the smurf I went through, I made peace with it and am not paranoid at all. But where I live makes up the difference as well."

I know, but her post went on to say that after doing research about abductions she will start limiting what her children will be doing as they get older.

Quoting speaktruth2powr:" I know, but her post went on to say that after doing research about abductions she will start limiting what her children will be doing as they get older."

True.
IDK if I was that scared of something happening I wouldnt be googling the smurf out of it, thats foresure. lol I learned that with my dd's medical conditions, googling possible reasons put me over the edge, kwim?

Its a little much IMO.

I know it's scary for you, but you will have to start letting your kids have a little freedom & independence as they get older. Never letting your kid ride the bus and talking about suing the bus if they let them off without you is a bit extreme.

Stranger abductions are pretty rare, usually it's someone known to the child. It's really important to teach your child stranger danger, not going with anyone but you, etc. I have a "password" with my kid (he's 10) that if anyone but a few certain people tries to take him somewhere has to know. He knows that even if they say I was hurt, told them to get him, etc that if they don't know that password to say no.