Mom warns parents to be aware this festive season
While you should remain aware and vigilant at all times, this time of year brings heightened awareness.
The festive season doesn't just bring joy and a much-needed break, but also heightened crime.
Parents are always encouraged to be vigilant when they are in public spaces with their children. Exercising on the side of caution is always better than being too casual and then facing the consequences.
Cases of theft, hijackings, fraud and human trafficking are always in operation. Sometimes, it's the most innocent interactions that hold the most risk and danger to you and your family.
Crime doesn't take a break; it tends to increase around this time of year when people tend to let their guards down.
Read more: Parents urged to be 'proactive' in safeguarding kids
A Johannesburg woman recently reminded parents to be vigilant when they are in public spaces with their children. The mother and her son went for ice cream after school, when the boy asked to use the bathroom.
On their way to the restrooms, the boy (8) was headed towards the men's room. She told him that since she was alone with him, he could use the ladies' room, and she would accompany him.
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The mother says a woman was already standing outside the men's toilets when they arrived at the restrooms, waiting to open the door for the boy.
Mom was obviously not comfortable sending him into the men's toilets alone, but her motherly instincts, or as she calls it, 'gangster mode,' were activated when the strange woman said: 'It's okay, you can trust me.'
Watch how she recalls the incident in a TikTok video below.
@brenolenen We need to be alert!there are scary people out there-keep a close eye on your kids!#southafricatiktok🇿🇦 #jhbtiktokers #kids #parents #viral ♬ original sound - BRENOLENE naicker
Being out with the kids is what the holidays are all about, and while there is merriment in the air, you cannot let your guard down as a parent or guardian.
It's easier than you think to fall victim to crime, especially when you find yourself vulnerable to outside circumstances.
This festive season, talk with your kids about stranger danger, the difference between safe strangers and unsafe strangers, safe words for your family that help your kids identify legitimate people in their lives versus a stranger posing as a friend and brief them on safety protocols before visiting busy locations.
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