My 23 year old daughter lives 1300 miles away. One of her jobs is in a restaurant/bar. Upon closing the restaurant at 2:30 am, she was attacked by a man waiting in the shadows of the parking lot. My daughter was able to fight off her attacker and get away relatively unharmed. She was rattled and scared understandably, but what she did in that split second of time, made all the difference. I was never so thankful that I put her in karate when she was younger. Karate taught her self defense. It taught her how to get out of an arm hold, to break free from a neck hold, and how to attack someone who is trying to do you harm so that you can get away. It is repetition over and over so that when it happens to you, you don't think.... you simply react. My beautiful daughter was upset for hurting someone, Bless her heart.
Don't forget to teach your children, especially your girls, how to be safe. Here are some points to keep in mind.
- Always walk around your car to make sure no one is hiding in your car.
- Always lock your car.
- When walking to your car don't talk on your cell phone or text, it distracts you and predators look for this. Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
- Park under a street lamp
- Hold your keys between your knuckles when walking to your car, sharp parts pointing out.
- Go for the vulnerable parts of the body, the top of the foot, the eyes, and the groin.
- Lock your car once you are safe inside before doing anything else.
Here are some things I taught my children when they were small.
- If lost in a store, go to a store employee. Someone behind the check-stand.
- Policemen are our friend. A lot of people make negative comments about the police when they get pulled over, or see them on the side of the road. Teach your children that they are the good guys, they protect and serve.
- Teach your children how to make a collect call from a pay phone. I know they are few and far between, but they do still exist and it may save their life.
- Teach them to yell out for help if they are being taken or in danger. Specific words like "help, " OR "your not my mommy/daddy," are best.
- Institute a safety word for the family. Anyone who is trying to pick up your child from school or practice must use this word to verify that they have your permission to do so even if they are someone that your child knows.
- Get them involved in a martial arts class. They learn self defense and discipline. They will learn respect of others and self control. It will teach them to avoid conflict, but to protect themselves when necessary, and the wisdom to know the difference.
- Teach them to dial 911 on the phone in an emergency.
By doing these things we are giving our children the tools they need to be safe in the world. We hope that they will never be in that situation, but as I shared about my daughter, we have no guarantee.