Hide and Be Safe

You know that playing games with your children can teach them valuable life skills, but did you know that one in particular might save their life?

The old favorite of "Hide and Seek" is actually wonderful training for staying safe in the slim chance that your child is abducted. Here’s how.

Get the children together, with the parent as "it." Count to 50 and begin looking for them. Playing indoors will help them to discover tiny places that other adults wouldn't think of looking, like in a closet under a pile of clothing, or underneath the sink.

If you find one of them because of loud breathing or giggling, make sure you point this out, telling them, "an expert hide-and-seek player doesn’t ever make a sound." Any other reasons for finding them should be pointed out, too, such as, "I found you because you didn’t cover your feet with the clothes," or, "The bottom of your shirt was sticking out from underneath the sink cabinet." This will teach your kids to think about whether or not they are totally invisible or not.

It’s also important to play outside, as hiding outdoors after an abduction is as likely as indoors. Point out where they are obvious in their hiding places. "I couldn’t help but see you with that bright red shirt in the bushes," or, "You didn’t get flat enough on the ground behind this short wall, and I saw your back." Even, "you had to peek out to see where I was, and that’s when I found you!" or "I heard the leaves crackling under your shoes and followed you right here!"

By combining a fun activity with some education, you’ve now turned an ordinary game of hide-and-seek into the "Hide-and-Safe!"