Unfortunate Events in the Life of a Child

Life is filled with situations and circumstances that many children have no control over. It is disheartening to see children suffer from abuse and neglect. The reality of the matter is, as your read this post, there are children who are being exposed to irresponsible people, being abused, and being mistreated by the adults who are supposed to protect them. The question becomes, how can we prevent unfortunate situations in the lives of our children?

I can remember being told as a teenager that my step-grandfather attempted to murder me as an infant. He took a knife, while he was drunk, and cut me down the seam of my nose. I bled terribly and nearly died if it had not been for the quick responses of my mother and my aunt, I would not be here today. I still have the scar on my face to remind me of my step-grandfathers disregard for my life as a baby. What measures could have been taken to avoid such an unfortunate incident?

1. Be on guard. Children should never be allowed to frequent or stay in a household where the inhabitants are alcoholics, drug users, or violent. When children are placed in those types of situations, it is a recipe for disaster.


2. Provide supervision. Predators and curious teenagers thrive in environments where parents do not supervise their children. Never allow your children to play outside without the proper supervision. Remember, everyone does not have your child's best interest in mind.


3. Be an Example. Demonstrate to your children the proper way to live a respectful and wholesome life. Whatever behaviors that you allow as a parent will become the same behaviors of your children as an adult. If they see you drunk and drugged out, then they accept that as the standard. If they see different people coming in and out of your house that is not their father or mother, then they will perpetuate what they have seen in the home.


4. Teach survival skills. Tell and demonstrate to your children what to do when they find themselves in trouble. Ensure that they know your name and not just a nick-name or title. Instruct your children to never to give their personal information to a stranger. Teach them to run and scream when someone approaches them in a strange manner.


5. Monitor your child's entertainment. With the boom of the Internet and social media, your child could find himself in some difficult situations that could be life or death. Check their facebook, twitter, myspace, flicker, and other social media pages. Question them about people who they have accepted as friends. Place the proper child protective software on your computers to prevent exposure to explicit material. Review your child's phone and text messages. Teenagers have a totally different language in the text world and they could be communicating behavior that could lead to disease, pregnancy, and other activities that would be unfortunate for their future.

As I look back over my life and reflect on the whole situation with my step-grandfather attempting to murder me, it can be discouraging, but on the bright side, I was truly blessed by the Lord to have survived the incident in spite of his irresponsible and reckless behavior. How many children do not survive these kinds of incidents? Far too many!

As parents, we are the protectors of our children. We have to think beyond being reactive to situations, but also become proactive to prevent situations that have the potential to leave a terrible emotional and physical mark on our children. Create a home, family and social environment that is child-friendly and void of life-threatening and child-endangering situations. Your children will live and thank you for it.