Stranger Danger: an important message from PSP Founder, Susan Fox
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- Category: Safety
Dear PSP Members,
I wrote last week about stranger danger and it’s important to bring it up once again. There have been a few occurrences of strangers approaching kids in the last week. I’m in contact with Brad Lander’s office and the local police precincts to get more information to clarify what we know about the different incidents and the danger it may mean for our children. For what it’s worth, I was pleased to hear that children acted appropriately to the situations they faced such as going into a local business to report someone harassing them, reporting to school authorities when they were approached, etc.
Even if these situations don’t pan out to be legit (there is reason to believe that one story was not) it is a good reminder discuss how to educate and arm your kids with good tools IF it were to ever come up. Teaching children the ways to deal with situations will help them build confidence and act in ways that won’t make them a victim. Sheltering our kids and not giving them any freedom may make them think that the world is a scary place when in fact it’s filled with wonderful, interesting people and just a few “skeevy” people to avoid.
The information HERE came from a letter that went home to parents of PS 172. There is some great information here. Please take some time to discuss with your kids.
Here’s an article on the value of fostering a child’s independence and letting go of our kids. It also reminds us that we may need to put a little more trust in other parents that they know what they are doing before we call 9-11 and assume neglect if we see a kid walking alone.
And one statistic from the article worth noting: Kidnapping by strangers is wildly uncommon; in New York State, for instance, the Division of Criminal Justice Services announced that 20,309 children were reported missing statewide in 2011; exactly one of those children was confirmed abducted by a stranger.
Susan Fox
Park Slope Parents
Other useful reading around the web:
Your FAQs about Kids and Travel
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- Parent Category: Travel Advice
- Category: Traveling With Kids Advice
Going on vacation? Lucky you! Here is advice from PSP parents about kids and travel...
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We asked our members about how to winterize NYC homes and here are their helpful replies...
All Things Nannies and Babysitters
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- Parent Category: Advice - Childcare and Education
- Category: Nanny 101
Summer's end means changing childcare needs for many of us, whether hiring a nanny or moving on from a current nanny is on the horizon. Whatever your situation, we have tons of information to guide you as you make the best choices for your family.
Hiring a Nanny?
The 2014 Park Slope Parents Guide to Hiring a Nanny [Beta] is a combination of best-practices, insights and honest expressions culled from years of experience by a diverse group of parents who have all been where you are now. It includes:
Need an after school nanny/babysitter? We asked you for ideas and experiences, and have put together the PSP Guide to Hiring an After School Sitter.
Park Slope Parents strongly recommends you have a work agreement in place. Get yours here.
Does Your Nanny Need a Job?
Be sure to review our "Helping Your Nanny Find A Job" info on the PSP Website.
Need to post about your nanny? Please see the updated PSP requirements including our required template for nanny recommendations! We have a dedicated nanny moderator so it can take 24-36 hours for your message to post.
Saying "Goodbye" to your nanny? See our tips to help with the transitions including severance pay, goodbye partings, and more.
We have a section for nannies! Send your caregiver the PSP "Information For Nannies" guide with tips and advice to help them secure their next job.
Creating a Nanny Share?
We have updated The PSP Guide to a Successful Nanny Share to include tips from what works (and what doesn't) to salary information, scheduling advice and more.
Let us know if you have any questions or concerns in your search or posting process by emailing " onclick="window.open(this.href,'','scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,location=yes,menubar=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,left=0,top=0');return false;"> .
If you need to get on the PSP Classifieds please email ."> .
In the meantime, happy summer and best of luck.
See you around the Slope.
Melissa and Susan,
Park Slope Parents
Park Slope Parents: We're more than you think!
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Did you know that PSP has a knitting group?
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