Parentology

Your Child’s Name on Their Shirt or Backpack is a Bad Idea

Danger of Customized Backpacks

While you’re out shopping, you might be tempted to buy a cute backpack or t-shirt with your child’s name on it, but you might want to think twice about that after watching this viral TikTok from Dannah Eve.

Dannah, a mom with a BA in criminology and psychology, posts informative videos teaching people how to stay safe. In her video captioned, “PSA FOR ALL PARENTS,” the mom warns, “…if your child is of school age, and they walk to and from school by themselves, or if they just go to school in general, a backpack with their name on it, or clothing with their name on it, can, unfortunately, put them in a very dangerous situation.”

@dannah_eve

⚠️ PSA TO ALL PARENTS ⚠️ #femalesafety #keepyourkidssafe #safetytips #safetytip #femalesafetytips #familysafety #femalesafety #staysafe #stayawarestaysafe #momsafetytips #staysafeoutthere #thinksmart #lifesavingtip #lifesavinghacks #travelingalone #crimeprevention #dontbeatarget #girlswholivealone #ilivealone #dontwalkaloneatnight #dontwalkalone #situationalawareness #beawareofyoursurroundings #criminalmind

♬ original sound – Dannah Eve

The former criminology student goes on to explain how predators are not always creepy and scary-looking people. They can seem really nice and are experts who are making people drop their guard and trust them, especially kids.

If a predator sees a child on the street wearing their name on them, that makes it easier for them to lure the child to them. “…because, let’s face it, the second somebody says a child’s name and they turn around, that person now automatically has an upper hand. They now have the ability to make that child think that they know them, or that they know their parents.” Dannah explains.

In the U.S., about 2,300 children go missing every year. As someone who has watched a lot of true crime documentaries and listened to countless true crime podcasts, so many kids go missing in the blink of an eye in neighborhoods where people leave their doors unlocked and feel safe letting their kids walk home alone. You just never know what might happen.

As parents, you don’t want to be overly protective and paranoid, but being aware of simple ways to keep your kids safe can give you peace of mind and help ensure your child’s well-being.

Tracy Lowe

Tracy is a writer and filmmaker from Los Angeles, but Thailand has been her primary home for over a decade. She has more than 13 years of experience teaching young children and is a major proponent of the Reggio Emilia approach to learning.

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