News of a 9-year old girl who was almost abducted in her school recently sent shivers down my spine. I was waiting with Alycia at the lobby for the driver to pick her up yesterday morning when I read the news in the newspapers. I immediately showed the paper to her and exaggerated a bit to scare her. Kids, you really have to scare them out of their wits to leave an impact in their head…. and you have to be an old granny who keeps reminding/nagging them everyday, lest they will forget. I told Alycia that if anyone, woman or man walks up to her and tells her that I have instructed that person to pick her up from school, ask that person “what’s my mummy’s name?” and “what’s my daddy’s name”. Even if that person knows, don’t follow him/her home. Run as fast as you can to the school office and tell a teacher.
I have been drumming into Alycia and Sherilyn’s head never ever to follow a stranger home, no matter how convincing that person may appear. I told them that they should never accept any food from strangers too and used Snow White and the poison apple as an example. The news yesterday made me rant and rant to Alycia. I don’t care if she liked it or not, my goal is to make her remember to never follow any stranger home.
After nagging and reminding her, I then asked her this to test her if she knew what to do:
Me – Alycia, what must you do if a lady whom you don’t know told you that mummy asked you to follow her home?
Alycia – haiyah…. I will say I AM NOT FOLLOWING YOU HOME! (she was pissed off with my long-windedness haha!)
Me – what else must you do?
Alycia – mu_mmy, I want to buy a long ruler today!
(She was badgering me to allow her to buy a long ruler by herself at the school’s bookstore)
Me – you must run as fast as you can to the office or to any teacher and tell them what happened.
Alycia – ok, ok. Mu_mmy, I said I want to buy a long ruler today!
Me – NO! I will ask daddy to bring you to the stationery shop to buy the long ruler in the evening.
Alycia – That stationery shop don’t have long rulers.
Me – Who says? A long ruler is a very common item. Any stationery shop will sell long rulers. Daddy will bring you to buy this evening. You don’t buy the ruler yourself.
Alycia – Mu_mmy, but I want to buy. My friends can buy anything that they want in school.
Me – NO means NO and you better make sure you don’t follow any stranger home or you will never ever see me again!
And guess what, Alycia came back from school yesterday with 2 long rulers. 2 of her classmates (boys) bought her a long ruler each! She seems to be able to get her classmates to buy her anything that she wants from fish balls to Vitagen, nuggets, mechanical pencil to long rulers and she told me that her classmates willingly bought them for her.
Long story cut short, my mil and I were mad that she has been accepting things from her classmates and told her vehemently that she has to return the 2 long rulers to her classmates the next day. We nagged her till she was in tears. This girl is really sensitive and will be in tears very, very easily, unlike rascal #2 who is the polar opposite.
Ever since Alycia attended Primary, I worry about her in school a lot. I pray to God everyday that she will come home to me safely everyday. Well, that’s one of the things that a mother worries about, that’s one of the throes of motherhood.
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truly understand! anyway, Alycia is such an adorable girl, that’s y she can get her friends to buy her the things she want!!!!esp boy haha,,,,,,,,,
anyway, long way to go n you have 3 girls…so just b positive, no point worry too much , dear!
Sound so familiar to me. Me too, told the same story to April and May twice this week. April is quite similar to Alycia. April would be in tear easily as well, when she knew that I wasn’t that happy with her.
Yeah, that scared the shit out of me as well! The society is terrible these days! We cant be guarding our kids 24-7 right? So its really scarry lah. I have one boy but that doesnt make me feel any safer!
so damn sien, the more kids we have, the more we have to worry, endlessly!
I understand how you feel, coz all of us is worry about bad ppl out there. I pray for protection above.
You are doing the right thing. I guess as parents, the nagging is a necessity! Must repeatedly drum deep into them that there’s simply no compromise when it comes to their safety.
Yes Shireen! Me too, I can’t imagine how would I be when Sean starts primary school. Even now I have been worried sick! Hopefully everything will runs fine! God Bless! 🙂
yeaH we have to be cheong hei for their safety. but I can’t help myself from admiring Alycia’s ability to make classmates buy things fo her – some more from boys!! She must be very popular in school :):)
I think she wants to be able to buy her own things at school, not particulary the long ruler. There is no harm if she gets your permission first if she really needs it.
I told hubby I wanted to send my girl to a preschool just around the corner, and he asked me to drive there, no walking. I guess one can never underestimate own safety.
Hahaha… very cheong hei indeed. Me too, very cheong hei until Ian also cannot tahan!
Hi,
Would u be able to provide the link to the story? I don’t live in malaysia. Thanks so much!
merle
i googled pictures of disabled children to show her and frighten her. sometimes nagging too much don’t work, show them the real thing. cruel as it may be but I really don’t feel safe in M’sia 🙁
Ah. My girl has been asking me non stop to let her buy things in the school bookshop. All the kids buy all sorts of stuff there eg strips of coloured paper etc and she wants too but like you, we said No.
I am just wondering, Alicia is 6 and how id you manage to enroll her to standard 1?
ya.. Every mama will worry about their children… I have been at it since my daughter started school at 4 years of age till now.. she is a teenager.
The worry is constant and over many different things as the child grows..
after reading ur post, that even makes me thrilled.
eventhough my gal is not in primary school yet, i have start to think so much. When she is really in Primary school, i duno how m i going to be liked.
it’s no safe anywhere now, even in school. Sigh.
Reading yours, now make me worry my two boys when they go to standard one in two years time. 🙁
Are you using the normal barley? Friend recommended the popped barley (like popcorn) which smells slightly smoky which clears the urine more than the normal small little dry barley. Hope it works for baby. If you need more help, ask Wah Foong herb shop for natural herbs to clear urine.
Abby… thanks for the suggestion. I’ve just gotten my hubby to buy several pkts of sang soke yee mai and those herbs to clear the urinary tract from the chinese med hall.