Everyday Safety
Child Safety Tips for Parents
Practical safety for ordinary days — at home, out in public, and around other adults. None of this requires money or special equipment. Most of it is a habit you set once and keep.
What Every Child Should Know By Heart
Not read once — memorised, and checked again every few months.
Their Full Name and Yours
Not "Mom" — your actual first and last name. A lost child who only knows "Mom" cannot be reunited quickly.
A Phone Number
One number, memorised, not just saved in a phone that may be lost or dead.
Their Address
Street, number and town. Practice it in the car until it is automatic.
How to Call 911
Including from a locked phone, and what to say: what happened, and where they are.
Out in Public
Pick the meeting point before you go in
At the door of every store, park or event: "If we get split up, come back here." Decided in advance, not in a panic.
Point out who counts as a safe adult
Someone in uniform, someone behind a register, a parent with children. Show them, right there, so it is concrete.
Keep their name off their clothes and bag
A visible name lets a stranger call your child by it, which reads to a child as someone who knows them.
Take a photo on the way out
On days out, one quick picture. If anything happens, you have exactly what they are wearing today.
Around Other Adults
Coaches, tutors, family friends, older relatives. Most are exactly who they appear to be — and these habits cost nothing either way.
Ask about the one-adult-one-child rule wherever they go
Notice any adult who wants time alone with your child
Ask why an adult is messaging your child directly
Never force affection — a hug should always be their choice
Use the real words for body parts, so a child can be understood
Take a gut feeling seriously enough to ask a question
At Home
Devices charge outside bedrooms. Everyone knows who is allowed to pick your child up, and the school or daycare has that list in writing. If your child is old enough to be home alone, agree what they do if someone knocks — which is nothing, and a message to you.
Check what your child posts publicly. School uniforms, team logos, street signs and house numbers in photos tell a stranger where a child can be found on a Tuesday afternoon.
Important Disclaimer
This page is for informational purposes only. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency number.