The events that occurred on Friday at the Sandy Hook School shake all of us parents down to our core… we like to believe that when we send our kids off to school they are safe and sound in a bubble protected from the big bad world outside. Unfortunately for a large number of families in Newtown, CT this was not the case. These unlucky families will never get to tell their kids again how much they love them, to hug them or kiss them or watch them grow up and have families of their own. Our hearts go out to these families as we ask “why?!”, hold our kids close and are thankful that these events did not happen in our own neighborhoods.
Our hearts also go out to the families of the teachers and staff at the Sandy Hook Elementary School who risked their lives in the hopes of saving the children. Their actions saved many lives and for that the whole country is grateful.
So how do we keep our children safe? The truth is we can’t keep them 100% safe no matter how hard we try or how badly we want to envelop them in a bubble safe and sound from the world. If someone is crazy enough and determined enough they will always find a way. Our job as parents, educators, government officials, police, and even just as ordinary citizens is to make their task as difficult as possible and to try to cut them off at the pass before they can harm anyone.
As a parent our first step must be to explain what happened to our kids and let them know that yes people lost their lives, but the procedures that were in place helped save many lives. Explain to them that their schools have plans similar to those at Shady Hook to protect them. That that is why it’s very important to always listen to their teacher and follow what she says as she is trained to protect them. Explain that in the coming months they may have more drills to teach them what to do in an emergency situation. Let them know that these drills are a good thing because they show us what to do incase of any emergency. Then ask them if they have any questions or concerns and answer them to the best of your abilities.
As a nation we need to learn to watch out for the out of the ordinary, to observe our surroundings, to know when something does not fit and bring it to the attention of the proper authorities. Other nations, such as Israel, teach this to their population. Lessons such as: an unattended bag can be a bomb, a person wearing a heavy coat on a warm day can be a suicide bomber, as person acting fidgety maybe up to something, if you buy something and have it wrapped watch them wrap it for they can exchange it for a bomb, never take a wrapped package on a plane for anyone – even someone you think you know well for it maybe a bomb, etc. Basically, this boils down to being vigilant and observant and never letting your guard down.
Another step people should take is to watch out for those kids and adults who seem troubled or more quiet than the rest. Reach out to them and try to help them either directly or indirectly. As the patterns of these horrific events tend to show that the people who commit these heinous crimes were most likely troubled in some way for years and slipped through the cracks never getting the help they needed. Then one day they “snap” and harm people, and only then do people come out and say oh “oh he was a troubled youth”. Really? If you knew he was “troubled” why did you not try to help?
The best thing our nation can do and in fact the only thing we can all do to protect our kids and ourselves is to be vigilant. Vigilant about our safety techniques, vigilant about our surroundings, & vigilant about looking for possible troubled people. If we are vigilant enough then that will make it harder for those individuals that what to cause harm to do so.
But the question remains… in light of what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School can we keep our children safe? The answer is no, but we can try our best to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. So go hug your kids, hold them tight and keep your eyes peeled for anyone or anything that looks out of place.
Rantings of a Single Mom 