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The Pick-up Password – Safety tip to protect your child

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Categories:Articles, Parents, Self Defence
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kids safety password

If you're a parent then you care about your kids.
You want to know your kids are safe.
You want to know where they are.
A simple password can make all the difference.

Having a system for school pickup is a must. Most parents tell their kids if they are going to be picked up by someone else. Sometimes the parent might forget. Sometimes the child may not remember. A simple, yet effective solution is the pick-up password. The parent and child agree on a password. Only the parent, child and authorised collector know it. That way, if someone forgets an arrangement there is a quick solution.

Situational examples:

“Hi Billy.”
“Hi Mrs Jones.”
“Billy, your mum asked me to pick you up from school today.”
“Oh, ok. What's the password?”
“Oh, yes. Your mum said you'd ask me that. The password is (correct answer)”
“Thanks Mrs Jones. Let's go!”
(Gets in the car)

“Hi Billy.”
“Hi Mrs Jones.”
“Billy, your mum asked me to pick you up from school today.”
“Oh, ok. What's the password?”
“Password? She didn't tell me one!”
OR
“The password is (incorrect answer)”
OR
“Get in the car. I don't have time for this!”
“Thanks anyway Mrs Jones, but my mum said “No password, no go!”
(Billy now goes to find a teacher)

Simple steps any kid can learn:

  1. Choose a password you and your child can easily remember
  2. Any time you arrange someone to collect your child remember to tell them the password!
  3. At pickup, your child will challenge the collector for the password.

If the password is correct, your child knows they are safe to go (and will probably be chuffed with the system!)
If the password is incorrect your child knows to run and find a teacher immediately.

Using a simple (polite) challenge/response system like this achieves a number of things.

  • Your child is safer at pickup time
  • You and your child will be more aware of personal safety without any fear or paranoia
  • Remove situational ambiguity so your child can practice making confident choices
  • Give your child the ability to say “no” to adults in certain appropriate situations

The exact wording can be modified depending on the age of the kids involved. The message must stay clear.
This tip (and many others) are the sort of thing taught in the self defence classes at FunFit.

Do you think this system would work for you? Please post your thoughts to comments and share this with parents you think could benefit. Thanks.

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Comments (1)

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S L
UPDATE: it's been almost 5 years since I left this review. We're still going strong! I'm still training with Tim 💪 My now 10-year-old son is still doing Ninjas classes 👍 Great local gym with a very welcoming environment. I've been training with Tim for almost 2 years and I always enjoyed his personalised approach which helped me to achieve my goals. Tim is always very encouraging and makes each training session challenging, but rewarding. Apart from training adults, Tim is excellent working with kids and my 5.5yo son is always looking forward for his next Little Ninjas classes, which he started as a 3-year-old. Kids classes are always fun, with a mix of games and various exercises teaching self-awareness and safety. I would definitely recommend FunFit to everyone.
S L
2022-05-16
Neil G
Lovely atmosphere. It’s a great place to spend time with your child. Tim and his family are some of the nicest people you could hope to meet. It’s perfect for fun - plus introduces genuine concepts of discipline to youngsters.
Neil G
2020-10-30
Karen Wakil
Fantastic mix of fitness, self-defence and life skills in a fun environment. Builds confidence, respect and strength - both physical and mental - in the children. Highly recommend!
Karen Wakil
2020-10-27
Estelle Demontrond-Box
My boy really enjoys Tim's teenagers' fitness classes: Tim is very encouraging and motivating and has a good sense of humour! The class is very energetic and fun! Highly recommend!
Estelle Demontrond-Box
2020-10-16
Edward Kim
Tim always keeps the workouts fresh and interesting and was always committed to safety. Workouts were always challenging but catered to the level you were at. Never a boring session and looked forward to them always. Great community feel and music too! Only reason I'm not going anymore is because I moved to the other side of Sydney.
Edward Kim
2020-06-03
Ruth Hawkins
Both my 4 year old girl and 6 year boy absolutely love the classes. They've done lots of other activities over the years but there's something about being a little ninja that makes them light up and they enjoy every minute of the class.
Ruth Hawkins
2020-02-04
Michael Darcy
Great classes. My daughter loves them. They're a good mix of fun, fitness, knowledge and skills. An awesome find.
Michael Darcy
2019-12-30
Pablo Lillo
Very friendly people and staff, classes are fun and engaging!
Pablo Lillo
2019-12-25
Vfr Doug
My 6 year old son has been attending Mini Ninjas for almost a year and loves it! Tim is a natural with kids, he has the right balance of humour, fun and discipline to keep the whole class motivated and engaged. As well as having a great time and a good workout, our son is gaining physical confidence, self discipline and respect for others. Having trained in different martial art clubs when I was younger, I can see Tim has all the right qualities, values and knowledge you would want to be teaching our children.
Vfr Doug
2019-10-24
Zoe Jenkins
My son joined mini ninja class as a 3 years old. He has been excited to go every week. Tim is extremely good with engaging young kids with various activities. The whole lesson is filled with kids' joy and laugh. It's also great entertainment for parents to watch on the side. I can see my son has been improving in protecting himself with all the self defence actions he learned from Tim, which is very important for kids safety.
Zoe Jenkins
2019-09-26
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