Johns Creek City Guide is Pleased to Share Safety Tips with Residents of Johns Creek!

                 SHOPPING SAFETY FROM REVVED UP KIDS, LLC ~ Allison Neal, Revved Up Mom

Shopping with young children is always a challenge.  Here are some simple ways to keep your experience in
the store positive and safe:

• First and foremost, remember that your children are your priority.  Don’t allow yourself to get distracted
  in the store and let them roam around by themselves.  Children alone in stores are easy targets for predators.
• Make sure that babies and non-walkers are secured in their stroller or in a shopping cart; and take plenty
  of toys or snacks to keep them occupied while you shop.  Choose a cart with safety belts that are intact
  so that your little one can be strapped in safely.
• Walkers should be with you at all times in the store, either holding onto the shopping cart or holding
  your hand.  Some parents use a harness/leash mechanism to keep track of children in the store.
   If you do this, you need to make sure that the leash isn’t so long that it can get caught in the wheels
  of the cart or pull items from the shelves as your little one walks around corners.
• As you enter any store with young walkers, talk to them about staying with you and then make a plan
  so that they know what to do if you get separated.  Point out a sign or a landmark in the store that they
  can easily find if they are alone and make that the meeting place.  They should never approach a male
  shopper for assistance if they are lost.  Tell them to approach a store clerk in uniform or a mother
  with children.
• Remind them that they should never exit the store with anyone, even if that person tells them that they
  saw you leave. Tell them that anyone who is helping them should take them to a cashier or to customer
  service.
• It’s a great idea to snap a full-length photo of your children (including shoes) with your cell phone
  whenever you take them out in public.  If you get separated, you’ll likely be flustered and unable to
  remember specifics about your child’s attire, and the photo will help authorities or anyone else who is
  looking for your child.  Why photograph the shoes? In extreme cases, kidnappers have been known to
  change a child’s appearance quickly by switching their clothes, putting on a hat or a wig.  Shoes are not
  as easily switched because of the sizing issue.
• If you lose your child in the store, don’t waste precious moments looking for your child.  Immediately
  go to customer service and let them know.  Most big retailers and many smaller ones practice
  “Code Adam,” a national program named in honor of John Walsh’s son Adam, that trains store
  personnel to respond quickly and efficiently to a lost child situation.

Children who are bored are more likely to wander off and get lost.  One great way to keep your children safe
and happy while shopping is keep them engaged.  Allow them to help you find items on the shelf, or pick sizes 
or colors for you, play “I Spy” as you’re moving through the store.  With a little work on your part, shopping
can be safe and fun for everyone.

                                                 
Please support all of these companies that help keep our young children SAFE - We want to THANK THEM for
being there to watch over kids not only in our community but nationwide and worldwide.  Thanks!

Is your child ever safe enough?  Visit www.revvedupkids.comto learn more. Follow us on Twitter for a daily
safety tip texted to your cell phone.  Go to www.twitter.com/revvedupkids to sign up.
and learn what is new in Johns Creek, Ga by following us at:  www.twitter.com/JohnsCreekCity