Gone are the days of warning your children about Stranger Danger and thinking you’ve covered all bases.
“Crime is a reality for South Africans and our children and teenagers are being affected.
“We need to empower our children to know what to do in an emergency and how to protect themselves,” says Verena Hulme, district manager (Cape Town North) for Fidelity ADT.
Whether you are at work for a full day or at home with your kids, they should know what to do in an emergency.
In support of Child Protection Week this month (27 May – 2 June), Fidelity ADT offers the following safety tips for you to share with, and teach your children:
• Make sure your children memorise their full names, address and phone number.
• Using a play phone, teach children when and how to dial 10111 (for a landline) or the emergency 112 service on a mobile phone.
• Put other emergency numbers on speed dial on your home phone and mobile. Teach your children how to operate the speed dial, explaining when it should be used.
• Always leave a phone number where you can be reached along with numbers for neighbours and emergency services right next to the phone.
• Make sure they realise the importance of speaking clearly and telling the emergency services exactly what is happening.
• Let your children practice operating door and window locks.
• Set a good example by locking doors and windows and checking to see who it is before opening a gate or door.
• Explain how important it is not to let anyone into the house without your permission.
• Teach them to not reveal on the phone or at the door that no adults are home but to rather say their parents are too busy to come to the phone or door.
• Rehearse the home fire escape plan with your children.
• Teach your children basic first aid such as putting pressure on a bleeding wound and what to do with minor burns.
• Show them how to press the panic button and explain when they should do so.
“The golden rule with children is to develop good security habits and to communicate regularly about safety,” says Hulme.
To assist in the development of these good security habits, Fidelity ADT offers a free, educational safety show for pre-primary and primary school learners.
“Mr ADT visits schools and speaks to the children about how to use a panic alarm button, never to open the door to a stranger, and the importance of knowing a parent’s contact details and other emergency numbers. He also covers topics like pills and poison, dangers in the kitchen, fire, and what to do if a stranger comes into your house,” she concludes.
For information about Mr ADT, send an email to Tania Geldenhuys tgeldenhuys.za@adt.co.za.
