ABUNDANT LIFE, NO MORE

Source: Associated Press/Dec. 16, 2024

There comes a time when I have to stop all my online work, writing and motivational posts etc... and SPEAK OUT on the things that REALLY matter! And to me, that is the safety of our children...ALL of our children. And that time is now, again! It is insanity that I have to have so many blog posts/articles that reference school shootings. It is just that I find it incomprehensible to just sit by and not say or do anything at all, while innocent lives continue to be lost (and in school no less!)

Did you even hear about this one? A 15-year-old student opened fire inside a study hall at a small Christian school in Wisconsin on Monday, (Dec. 16, 2024) killing a teacher and teenager and prompting a swarm of police officers responding to a second grader’s 911 call. 

There are too many sh**tings in this Country to keep track, but to continue to ignore them and pretend it's not happening is unconscionable.

Sooo many things wrong here:

1. The obvious, is the injury and death of innocent people (children)
2. That a SECOND GRADER had a cell phone and had to use it to call (the police) 911!

Let that sink in! (What are we doing to our children!?)
3. That this teenager had easy access to a weapon
4. That this teenager is so mentally unwell and unhappy that the first option is to take the lives of others?!
5. That G-d and religion can't do sh*t about gun violence.
6. Thoughts and prayers are too little too late.
7. That most people didn't even hear about this incident.
8. That we have accepted this violence as the "norm."
9. The irony that this happened in a 'Christian" school called "Abundant Life."
10. That most people are going to keep scrolling, reading...while victims of gun violence continue to grow in this Country, until one day, it will be too close to your home, children and/or loved ones.

Every SINGLE time there is a school sh**ting, not only does it add to the list of victims of gun violence in this Country, but more and more children suffer from PTSD and the trauma of going to school.

How did we reach a point in this Country where kids have to be FEARFUL of attending school?! Why is this okay?

I don't even know why I bother writing about this anymore. We vote and it doesn't mean anything. We try to pass gun law reform and background checks and other common gun law reform, and the people obsessed with gun ownership, get in a twist over it all.

The conclusion (IMO) is that, in THIS Country, people value their weapons and money more than the safety and mental well-being of our children and that was more than evident during #SandyHook

Until you have been through it, or loved someone who has been through it, you will never understand, how incredibly frightening and traumatic it is for a child (or any person) to live through such unimaginable violence, where you go to school and/or work.

Whatever the solution is, we must DO SOMETHING! Children DESERVE to be SAFE and PROTECTED! Thus far, we have failed too many of them!

TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATIONS

Practically every year, we set a record for the number of school shootings. Kids everywhere – young children and teens alike – are hearing about these incidents on a daily basis. That means it’s up to you as a parent to talk to your kids about active shooter scenarios and what to do during them. 

Being mentally prepared for a dangerous situation increases your child’s likelihood of survival. One of the things that work against a person in an active shooter scenario is the brain’s normalcy bias. In a crisis, a person will freeze because it takes a while for the mind to adjust to the fact that there are gunshots going off. Mental preparation prevents that normalcy bias, so your child reacts to danger in a timelier manner. 

Read on for some tips from Mommy Warrior Lady to help prepare your child – and you – for the worst.

Safety in the Home

If you are going to talk to your kids about what to do in an active shooter situation, the first place to cover is the home. Parents magazine suggests talking to your children about proper gun safety and making sure they do not have access to any firearms you may keep in the house. Furthermore, create a family emergency plan in case anything was to happen in the house.

• Save emergency contacts both in phones and written down and stored in a location your children can easily access.
  
  

• Put together a first aid kit and have everyone become first aid certified. Also, consider babysitting and CPR courses while you are at it. Knowing how to be prepared for everything helps break bias no matter the emergency situation.
  
  

• Have a designated neighbor your children can go to in case they can’t access you. Come up with specific code words that they can use in dangerous situations.
  
  

• Teach kids never to handle guns without adult supervision. If they see a gun that isn’t secure, have them come get you. Instruct them not to touch the gun ever.
  
  

Run, Hide, Fight 

No matter where an active shooting occurs, a person has three options as reactions: run, hide, and fight. Talk to your kids about each option. If there is an active shooter, your child is safest the farther he or she gets from the person with the gun. Teach your kids that their first reaction to hearing gunshots should be to run as far away from the sound as possible. Of course, their safety is likely situational. Sometimes it is safer to hide, especially if there is a secure place to do so, like a panic room. There may not be an escape route, another case in which hiding is a better option than running. The third option, fight, is always the absolute last option. 

Your child’s school also has its own protocol that serves in your child’s best interests and overall safety in the case of an active shooter. Insider points out that while your child should know the run, hide, fight mantra, they should always listen to authority figures at school. Talk to your children about keeping a cool head under stress, evaluating situations before acting, and the importance of following leadership to ensure they make safe decisions in an active shooter situation.

Remember that shootings can happen anywhere from schools to movie theaters to any workplace. While no single security measure or strategy can prevent all workplace violence, adequate employee training and a solid plan for safety can prevent most cases. So, if your child has a job, ask them what preparations their workplace has made for their safety.

It’s not easy talking about this with children. We all wish we lived in a world where our kids didn’t have to fear gun violence. However, the statistics don’t lie. Mass shootings and school shootings are happening all around the country. If your child knows what to do in one of these emergencies, they will have better chances of surviving if it happens in your community.

For more great articles about raising children, visit Mommy Warrior Lady today!