Protect Your Home and Neighborhood

Nothing is worse for a parent than receiving an America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alert for their child. While we don’t want the unthinkable to happen, we must be prepared for anything.

Child abductions are an increasing concern and child safety experts advise parents to be prepared with a child safe kit. However, you must be wondering, do I need a child safety kit with so many scams around?  To answer that question, you must thoroughly understand these child identification kits. 

What’s Inside A Child Safety Kit?

A child safe kit is an information packet containing essential details about your child. It includes the following:

• Basic information card:
  • Full Name (first, middle, and last)
  • Nicknames
  • Birthdate
  • Age, Weight, Height, and Sex
  • Hair Color and Eye Color
  • Ethnicity
  • Unique and identifying features (glasses, birthmarks, scars, piercings, etc.)
  • Medical Information (doctor’s name, medications, allergies, blood type, etc.)
  • Emergency Contacts (Including a current address)
  • Fingerprints (You can use inkless fingerprints or a black inkpad)
  • Other notable physical characteristics to help identify your child
• Most recent colored photo of your child (Candid photos are good since they show your child in a natural setting.)
• DNA samples (They can be nail clippings, hair strands, bloody bandages, cheek cell samples, etc.)

Keep this information inside an envelope or a packet and store it away with other necessary documents in a safe place that you can access in case of an emergency. Hopefully, you never have to access this kit. 

The Purpose of Child Identification Kits

We hope this never happens but in case your child goes missing, a child safe kit will help law enforcement officials locate your child more efficiently. If you suspect your child has been abducted, call 911 immediately.

Unlike adults, you don’t need to wait 24 hours before a child is considered missing. An AMBER alert will be issued, and police officers will immediately scout the area and look for your child. 

To help their search, the police will require basic information and other identifying details about your child. A child-safe kit will be handy since you can turn it over and get the search going quickly. 

Where To Buy Child Safe Kits?

A child safe kit is normally available for free at your local police department. You can just request for one, bring it home, and complete it with your child. There are also printables available for free in the Internet that you can download and use.

However, if you want to purchase low-cost child safety kits, you can do so from legitimate retailers. Just be wary of scams who pretend to give you a free child-safe kit in exchange for personal information or an insurance sales pitch.

Don’t give your personal information or your child’s information online or over the phone. Scammers will probably ask you for your personal information in connection with an identification kit for children.  

If you decide to go the DIY route, your biggest concern may be getting DNA samples of your child. The process is very simple. Hair strands and nail clippings can be used as DNA samples. Ensure they are kept in a clean, labelled envelope. 

If you want a cheek swab, you can easily do this using cotton swabs. Just get a clean swab, remove one tip, then run it over your child’s cheeks and gums. Let it air dry and don’t let it come in contact with anything else.

Once dry, secure the sterile swab in an envelope for safekeeping. If this sounds too complicated for you, just get nail clippers and cut your child’s nails to get nail clipping samples. 

Are Child Safe Kits Worth It?

Every parent wants their child to be safe. The peace of mind that comes from knowing your kids are safe is priceless. We can’t watch out for kids all the time especially if they’re out playing with friends and we’re busy with our day-to-day tasks. It’s important to take precautions, like assembling a child-safe kit, to keep them safe. 

The AMBER Alert system has recovered 1,144 abducted children as of May 2022. Child safety kits play a big role in making this system seamless and fast. 

For more articles about child safety, you can visit our blogs at Be-Safe.

You can provide your children with a wealth of information through the internet. Not only that, it can even be akin to an entirely different world. The Internet offers countless opportunities for learning, hobbies, skills, video games, and even social interaction, but it also carries its own dangers.

Children are incredibly fast learners. In many cases, they could even be more tech-savvy than some adults. However, this does not keep them away from all risks. No matter how intelligent the kid may be, online dangers are still something they’ll need to watch out for.

As a parent or guardian, it can be beneficial to speak to your child about these dangers. Knowledge is the greatest weapon to ensure your child’s safety. They can become more responsible and capable while staying safe by learning what’s out there and how to avoid it.

Dangers Online 

The internet can pose many different kinds of dangers. Content that is inappropriate, misinformation, malicious pop-up ads, and mean-spirited people, as well as scams, viruses, and criminals trying to harm or take advantage of them, are just a few examples.

That being said, it’s important to note that it is unlikely for your child to encounter all of them, but informing and preparing them is still an important step to take.

Some parents are inclined to set parental controls and block inappropriate content. Setting time limits for iPad use is another approach you can use on toddlers to limit exposure to online risks.

Risks And Repercussions

Shifting the focus back to the real world, there are also potential dangers that can arise physically. Misuse of a computer, a mobile device, or any other digital device can lead to complications.

Eye strain, wrist strain, and other similar conditions are the most common. You can prevent this by teaching your children how to use their devices correctly and responsibly.

It is also important to address the social side of internet use. Teach your child the importance of understanding social pressures and the mindset that they should have with things like social media apps.

Sites And Sources

The next thing to speak to your child about is where these dangers can come from. These threats can come from anywhere, but especially on platforms where your child can interact with strangers.

This includes online games and social media. It is important not to completely restrict your child’s access to these services, but to teach them how to use them safely.

Securing Their Online Safety

Lastly, let’s take a look at a rundown of what to teach and talk to your children about their general use of the internet.

What Are The Kids Doing Online?

It’s important to respect your child’s privacy, so don’t spy on them behind their back. Talk to them in a safe space and ensure them that they can trust you enough to tell you what sites, services, or entertainment they use, visit, or consume.

This will give you a better idea of what your child does and can help you understand how to help them and how to step in to make sure they’re safe.

What They Shouldn’t Be Doing Online

As with teaching them how to act in real life, you should teach them how to behave online as well. Teach them what websites are dangerous and why they should avoid them.

Explaining to children why these places are dangerous is extremely important. Children are curious and they’re also intelligent. Don’t assume that keeping them in the dark is the best way to keep them safe.

Ignorance and a lack of education are two of the biggest contributing factors to why these things continue to cause problems online. Make sure they understand how valuable their personal information is.

Let them know that their online privacy should be protected and that they should never share their personal details with any stranger online. The same should also apply to sensitive information like pictures, addresses, and especially things like bank details.

You should always tell them to come to you first before entering their information on a website or service. Take a look at what program or site is asking for it and double-check whether or not it is safe for you or your child to do so. 

As stated time and again, the best defense your child has are their lines of communication with you. If they have any questions or concerns, make sure they can reach out to you so that they can make their own informed decisions. This is the best way to ensure their digital safety.

If you’d like more helpful tips on how to keep your kids safe, visit Be-Safe today!

Parents and kids have always asked, “when can kids sit in the front seat?” The answer, as with most things related to car seats, is “it depends.” There are a variety of factors to consider when deciding where your child should ride in the car. 

When Can Kids Sit In Front

Consider the age of your children when determining when they can sit in the front seat. The general rule of thumb is that children under the age of 12 should ride in the back seat. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule, including:

• If the car only has two seats
• If all other seating positions are already occupied by children under the age of 12

Only in these cases can an older child be permitted to sit in the front seat.

Another factor to consider is the child’s height and weight. Many car seats have height and weight limits. If a child exceeds the height or weight limit for a particular seat, then they will need to move to a different type of seat.

Child safety seats are usually placed in the rear seat and not the front passenger seat.

Other Seating Options

Rear-facing child safety seats are the safest option for young children. They should be used until the child reaches the maximum height or weight limit for the seat.

After that, they can be transitioned to a forward-facing car seat. Forward-facing car seats are also safe for children, but they should only be used once a child has outgrown rear-facing car seats.

Forward-facing seats come with either harnesses or shields, and both options are considered safe. Once again, there are height and weight limits for these seats, so children will need to move to a different type of seat once they exceed those limits. 

Booster seats are the next step for children after they outgrow their front-facing car seats. Booster seats raise the child so that the seat belt fits properly. They should be used until the child is big enough to use a seat belt without a booster seat.

Once children are big enough to use a seat belt without a booster seat, they can graduate to just using the adult seat belt alone. However, it is important to make sure that the seat belt fits properly.

The lap belt should fit snugly across the child’s thighs, and the shoulder belt should fit across the chest. If the seat belt does not fit properly, then a booster seat may still be required. 

Don’t Underestimate The Power Of Car Seats

Car seats are crucial for those traveling with children because they protect kids in the event of a car accident. They keep kids in place in the event of a collision and prevent them from being thrown around.

Car seats provide support for a child’s head, neck, and spine. They should be used until the child outgrows them, at which point they can transition to a booster seat or just use a seat belt on a regular seat. 

It is imperative that your child travels safely. Always use the right car seats to protect them and prevent untoward accidents. To know more about car safety and family safety, check out our blog at Be-Safe.