Child Safety 101 by Benny Mares

Because of my work in the field of teaching people to stay safe and defend themselves, I’m constantly seeking out knowledge to help me help others, as well as to network with and support others who are doing the same. This is why I picked up a copy of Child Safety 101: 101+ Safety Tips for Protecting Your Child by retired Los Angeles Police Officer Benny Mares. After reading the book, I’m glad that I did.

Child Safety 101 is a simple book, but with some very practical tips on keeping kids safe. It’s not long, and can be read quickly. However, I’d recommend parents take a bit more time and actually implement the tips and strategies into their lives. They aren’t hard, but they are often ignored. After Mares brings them to your attention, make sure you follow the advice.

Some may say the book is just common sense, but as I often say in my seminars, common sense is not commonly practiced. So even if you “know” some of the things Mares advises on, ask yourself if you are actually doing it.  The book is divided into 15 general areas or chapters, these include: home, babysitters, neighborhood, day care, school, public places, hotels and apartments, strangers, internet, personal, family, documentation, general child safety rules, what if…what would you do, and notable laws and alerts. Each of these chapters contains various “tips” that range from a paragraph to several paragraphs. None are long, but all aim to help parents not only keep their children safe, but to teach them how to stay safe on their own.

Child safety should be a priority for all of us, but for a parent, it should be priority number one. I support all efforts to help keep children safe, and like this book for its simple, direct and practical advice on doing just that. I recommend this to any parents wanting to increase their knowledge in the area of keeping their kids safe, as well as teaching safety practices to their children.