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Tactical parenting

We have all seen the mother or father walking the parking lots of the malls or even the malls where the children are way out of range to get to if they needed to OR the parent that is frantically running through Walmart screaming, “BILLY – BILLY!”  Let’s not forget the announcement, “Attention Walmart shoppers we have a lost child wearing blue jeans and white T-shirt named Billy.  If this is your child please come to the store management office located in the rear near the child leash section.”  Some parent’s get caught up in other things and apparently forget they have children, let alone that they brought their children with them.  It’s scary.

I would like to think that members of this community have a more keen sense of how they handle their kids when they are away from the POC [parenting operational command – The Home].  Today’s society is much more different that when I was growing up.  The threat and vulnerabilities are far more reaching and technical.  The distance that concerned parents allow their kids to venture away from the home is much smaller than 20 years ago.  At least it should be. That said, I hope that everyone here has adjusted to the threat and evolved their parental security measures.  OK, before you go off on me I am not talking about teaching your kids how to conduct a site security assessment, nor conduct an 11 point advance, but there are some common sense things you can do.

Here is something I do with my boys.  We go to a restaurant and once we have been seated I ask them if they know where the exits are.  If something happens and I say, “Let’s go” which way are we going?  This is not so advanced that they cannot enjoy their dinner experience with their favorite daddy, but it gets them in a mindset that we have gone over it.  Naturally if something goes down they are going to look to you for an appropriate response, so why not go over it before an event occurs.  My kids naturally will not debus from my vehicle until I do so first.  They are hard wired to do so naturally.  We walk as a group and I naturally work them like I would any other principal because it’s just natural.

Now don’t go out and start making your kids read EP manuals or test them for the national certification.  They learn better by example.  Trust me, my oldest lived through the days when I worked undercover in the same state that I resided.  I had countless “bad guys” that would enjoy to see harm put to me or mine, and my youngest 2 that lived through the birth and evolution of BPI.  It’s so funny because guys like Minister even refers to his 3 boys as a Fire Team.

4 comments

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  1. Kevin White

    Eric,

    This is funny, because I thought that I was the only person that played that game. I step out of the house first; checking the surroundings, get her secured in the truck and on to our destination.

    When we go out I escort her typically to the toy aisle, let her browse unrestricted with enough room to feel free but not so much that I am not there.

    My other kids are much older and I played the same “game” with them. This is too funny!

    A quick personal funny story. A few years back I had a fire at the house in the middle of the night. The fire department got their and of course took care of the fire and eventually cut the power to the house. You should have seen the look on the firefighters faces when my wife and kids were moving around the house all with tactical flashlights (even the baby at that time).

    KW,

    1. Eric Konohia

      That is funny

  2. Jon Tipper

    Bravo Eric! And Minister! An old friend of mine still enquires about how “charlie fire team” are doing when we speak!!

    A fair few years ago I was taking my 2 out to a large mall in south east England and for a moment I scolded myself for not switching off and working it like a job! But that’s what we do. Sheepdogs and sheep! Was that a turning point in my career? The fact that I still recall it with a smile, I’d like to think so. Take our natural instincts and put them to good use professionally.

    I’m also proud to say that eldest of CF is following a career path into the family biz!Maybe the mindset’s rubbed off!

    1. Eric Konohia

      Thanks for the response Jon

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