A warning: When your kids don't return home - ever!

Your kids are out of the house, supposedly briefly - and they never come home. 

This came close to happening in the mid-1970's. My two kids, roughly ages nine and seven, were riding their bikes in a school parking lot only 200 yards from our home when they were stalked by a man claiming to be a school police officer.

He flashed a fake police badge - told my kids that they had to come with him - and my son wisely knew that he was a fake. My son told the would-be child abductor that he was a fraud and pleaded with his younger sister to escape with him. My son also told the man that his dad was a police officer, at which time the individual hopped in his car -followed my kids briefly as they rode their bikes out of there - and then fled the scene.

I relive the incident in my mind quite often lately. What if my two children never came home? You may tell your offspring to not talk or interact with strangers, but this ploy by this kind of depraved individual might be convincing. 

My 9-year-old great grandson is the same age (9 years) as my son was at that time. I admit to being overly-protective when he is in my care. Just a "heads-up" to parents, grandparents and others trusted with the safety of youngsters. A possible dangerous scenario you may not have considered.