One of the scariest things that could happen to a parent is having a child abducted. With so many cases in the news of late, you cant help but wonder what can be done to avoid such tragic circumstances. Although not completely avoidable as a parent there are some things that you can do to insure your childs safety.

First and foremost, when with your child in public, dont let them out of your sight. Dont leave them in a car outside a store when you are just running in. If your child is not within an arms reach, then they are too far away from you to protect them. Not only should you be able to see them, but to physically touch them as well.

If your child does get away from you in a store, dont be embarrassed, go immediately to an employee and let them know that your child is missing. Waiting even a brief moment to inform the staff, is never a wise choice. Those few moments can be especially important. People who do these things, usually have them well thought out, so the faster you can let the employees know, the faster they can put the information out so that all the employees and customers will be on the lookout. In most cases, the stores will also close off the exits and this is extremely important to insure that no one can leave the store with your child.

There are other options for keeping your child safe, like child locator devices. These are usually a wrist or ankle band which allow you to locate your child quickly. Another option, though often considered in bad taste, is a harness and leash for your child. These are handy and can help you retrieve your child quickly if s/he should scamper out of your cart quickly.

While it is important to teach our children the difference between right and wrong, we should be careful about teaching them that all strangers are bad. We don't want our children to lose curiosity when they meet others. But as with any discipline, there are no guarantees. The use of smart judgment will allow you to avoid most possibilities of bad situations.