So what do parents on this board do to keep their children safe from predators like this? Our kids are 3 & 5 right now.
I realize that the probability of stranger abduction is extremely low. I am the first one that doesn't want to scare the crap out of my kids. Equally important to spend time on things that are really likely to be a danger to them.
As a parent, I spend a lot of time on car safety with my young kids. Don't run out on the road, look before you cross, hold dad's hand in the parking lot and so on. I feel this is one of their most probable dangers they face.
We do a little bit around the area of kidnapping. We teach them to not let anyone take them. They are to scream and yell and kick etc if anyone tries to take them. If the person knows the password, its okay to go with them. Otherwise they are to put up a fight. They know both our phone numbers too. We usually discuss this once a month. Another big safety thing is that it is never okay for secrets. No other adult should tell them to keep a secret between us and them. That's about it. Pretty depressing we even feel motivated to go this far.
Something like this might be considered once they are in school full time.
http://www.gpscentral.ca/products/garmin/gtu10.html