Two days ago, I shared this video on my Facebook Page. I hope that some of you have spared some time to view it. It not, let’s do it today. This video is from Vulcanpost.
Courtesy of: Vulcanpost
According to the article posted on Vulcanpost, 4,804 children were reported missing in Malaysia last year. This is an average of 3 children per day. It’s an awful lot of missing children!
When a child went missing, the heartache and worry are unexplainable. The fear of not knowing where the child is, whom the child is with, and what the child is going through, can drive the parents crazy. Even though there’s always hope and chance that the child will be found alive, but it’s just too traumatic to even think about it.
A moment of neglect is a lifetime of regret. This is the message sent across by this video to show us how easy it is for parents to lose their children in public places. Watch this video and you’ll see how easy it is for strangers to approach our children when we’re not paying attention.
Singapore, in general, is a safe country. But this doesn’t mean that kidnapping does not happen in our country. Apart from kidnapping, there are various aspects of children’s safety that we, as parents, need to pay attention.
Now, let me share with you these two cases of security lapses in parents. Yes, it happened to me as well.
Case # 1:
Edison was playing at the indoor playground in a shopping mall. I was seated on a bench, next to the playground, and reading a book. Suddenly, I heard a girl crying out loud.
“I want my mommy! Mommy, where are you?” shouted the girl repeatedly. She was around the age of seven. She was so scared that she cried loudly. A few passersby came to help, including me and V. But we couldn’t find her parents. So, one of them brought her to the information counter to make an announcement to contact her parents.
After that, I explained to Edison on what happened to the little girl. I told him not to wander around without my knowledge. Else, he will not be able to find us, and he will panic and cry.
Case # 2:
After our grocery shopping last weekend, we walked up the stairs to the car park. Edison ran up the stairs quickly, but both of us were unable to catch up as our hands were heavy on groceries. I shouted to him to slow down and do not dash out to the main road.
The moment he vanished out of my sight, I heard a loud shout. I quickly ran up the stairs. Apparently, a car that was parked in parallel to the exit of the stairs started reversing. The driver couldn’t see Edison from behind, and luckily, two young men pulled him to the side of the road.
As a driver myself, I can’t blame him as it’s impossible to see a small children from the rear mirror. Edison looked so lost and scared; he knew that I will definitely scold him. But I didn’t. In my heart, I knew it was my fault. I should have held his hand at the car park.
Until today, I was too scared to imagine what could have happened if the two young men were not at the scene. We thanked them for saving our son. After this incident, I told myself that I MUST ALWAYS hold his hand in the car park. I also explained to Edison on what could have happened to him, what his mistakes are, and what he should do in future.
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As a parent, we can only do so much to protect them the best that we can. Therefore, teaching our children about safety measures is a very important factor to keep them safe. Clearly explain what a stranger is to our children. Explain to them what would happen if we have an emergency, and would not be available to get to him / her.
Above all, be a good role model. Put on seat belts in the car, avoid distractions, and drive in a safe manner. Always watch out for traffic when we’re crossing the roads. Listen to instructions and always be alert of our surroundings. Don’t forget to hold our children’s hands when walking in the car park and on the road.
We can build a strong safety culture that our children will value and perpetuate. I think this is the most important gift that we can ever give to them, that will last a lifetime.
Last but not least, keeping our children safe should always be first in our minds, no matter when and where we are.
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