Protect Your Children

Don't let them go to Parties or Sleepovers until You Know Who They will be Spending Time With

One of the most important aspects of raising children is to ensure they are well socialized. This process usually begins early in life and is one of the main driving forces for parents to enroll their children in preschool. Play dates are also a big part of the early socialization process.
As they grow older, children forge bonds with other children from school, church, and sports. Part of the social learning process is for them to take part in parties, sleepovers, and other group activities.
How can you keep your child in a safe environment?
Every parent wants their child to grow up happy and healthy, and to have the companionship of friends. As they develop an increasing amount of independence, their need to have mom or dad close at hand diminishes. As difficult as this is, it is a necessary part of growing up.
However, it is important as a parent to ensure we know as much as possible about our children, especially when they are out of sight - how they are spending that time, and with whom they are spending it.  This period of early social activity occurs during some of the most impressionable years of children's lives, and we want to ensure they have nothing but nurturing experiences. We want all of their childhood memories to be good ones, which evoke memories of safety and security.
Be a smart parent - know exactly what type of people surround your child
Before letting your child out of your sight for a slumber party, team pizza party, or any other type of gathering, make sure you know everything you can about the people with whom your child will be socializing.
A simple, computer-generated background check can tell you right away if it is safe for your child to attend the function, or if it would be wiser to keep him at home.  For example, Net Detective, an online background check service, makes it easy for you to delve into the personal history of the parent or parents who will be watching your child.
In a very short period of time, you can find out a great deal about virtually anyone's criminal and financial history.  Learn whether there are any civil actions pending against the parent, or learn of the existence of any restraining orders. Find out if the family has a violent history, or a peaceful one.
The main idea is to review the private life of anyone who will be responsible for your child's care, and ensure the person is qualified for the task. After all, you would not want to unwittingly place the care of your child into the hands of a hardened criminal.