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This Child Didn't Notice When Her Parents Vanished While Driving. Would Yours?
This beautiful commercial from Thailand reminds us how uncool it is to disappear in front of your closest friends and family.
06.19.13
Coroner warns teens and parents about concerning trend
As a parent there is nothing quite as terrifying as not knowing where your child is. It doesn't matter if they're 30 or 3, if you don't know that they're safe your mind doesn't rest. Most parents experience this level of panic only briefly when a little one escapes eyesight in a public place but far too many parents know the prolonged feeling of not knowing the whereabouts of their child.
Richland County Coroner, Naida Rutherford is taking to social media to give teens and their parents a serious warning to keep them from ending up on her table. Her plea came shortly after finishing a press conference about the missing 13-year-old Ka'Niyah Baker who was recently found deceased. The teen left her home to meet up with two other teen girls and was never heard from again.
"You may be running away with somebody who has undiagnosed mental illness with violent homicidal tendencies. You don't know enough to know what the hell you don't know," Rutherford says passionately to her live stream audience.
boy wearing white shirt and black shorts carrying backpack standing on black concrete road between vehicles and trees during daytime
Photo by Jesús Rodríguez on Unsplash
While Ka'Niyah was reported as a runaway, she's not alone. 93% of children reported missing are runaways, and in 2023 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported that over 300 of the cases were children in child protective custody, like Ka'Niyah. Much of the time, teens have no idea what they're running towards and since their brains aren't fully developed, they impulsively leave.
This impulsivity can kick in for a number of reasons that cause teens to believe their life would be better elsewhere. According to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, kids runaway due to bullying, family conflict, mental health issues, lack of acceptance at home, emotional, physical and sexual abuse. While kids in foster care may be running away to get back to their parents. But many children have no real concept of what can happen to them when they leave home, especially if they think they're leaving with other teens or internet friends they think they can trust.
man in black jacket and black backpack walking on train rail during daytime
Photo by Oskar Smethurst on Unsplash
In Rutherford's plea, she addresses the increased risk of sex trafficking, informing teens that grown men should not be interested in children sexually. She explains that sex trafficking doesn't only happen in large cities as teens have been trafficked in her small town in South Carolina and often teens are too embarrassed to go home. But she has a message to parents on how to keep their children safe.
"Parents. I'm addressing you right here and right now. Come on in. Be nosey. Know who their friends are. Know who they're talking to. You pay the cell phone bill, snoop. I'm asking you to be so nosey that it is almost annoying and show them the story of Ka'Niyah Baker," the county coroner says.
Rutherford has been inundated with positive responses to her candid video which she tells News 19 WLTX, the comments have proven there's a community still out there wanting to keep children safe. She admits that it will take a village mindset to ensure the safety of children and she's not alone in her thinking.
Investigator J.P. Smith from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) Missing Persons Unit tells ABC 4 News that protecting children is not solely the parents' job as it requires community effort. He tells the news outlet, “when you see something, say something. You’re not bothering us—we want to know why that child is out at one in the morning. Don’t hesitate to call, the sooner the better.”
The heartbreaking story of Ka'Niyah won't make parents feel warm and fuzzy but the compassionate warnings from public officials provides much needed information to families. Continue to hold your children tightly, together, we can be the village for children in our communities.
Want to escape the U.S? These are the best countries to consider.
As Americans we often hear how we are the beacon of light shining atop of the hill promising a better life for immigrants. People come from all over the globe to seek refuge at the feet of our Lady Liberty but we often don't hear about American immigrants. Planes, trains and boats travel in both directs and while some people may seek to make America their new home, plenty of Americans seek their home outside of their home country.
For some, traveling abroad isn't enough, they'd much rather plant roots outside of U.S. soil. But where are they going and how does it work? While we may be offended when someone else says it, the truth is, Americans are spoiled. We like our air conditioning, our sweet treats, our drive-thrus and all other things of convenience so when we think of living abroad we are also taking our way of living into account.
traveling lauren conrad GIF by The HillsGiphy
We wonder if other countries will align with the American culture that we will likely bring with us. Americans are just about everywhere. But if you're looking for the feel of home while not actually being home, follow your fellow American expats. Believe it or not, countries around the world have built up large communities of American expats. The top country may surprise you.
Brush up on your Spanish because we're headed to Mexico.
Yes, Mexico is the top destination for Americans to plant roots. We often hear stories about the dangers of traveling to Mexico but 1.6 million Americans have made the country on our southern border their home. Like the U.S., danger level depends on where you live along with the risky behavior someone participates in. The entire state of New York isn't dangerous but there may be a few cities locals would tell you to avoid.
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Mexico has a very generous visa program, offering a six month holiday visa, a work visa and a permanent visa. The process is not as cost prohibitive as other countries to become a temporary resident as Americans can visit visa free for 180 days. For Americans, Mexico is simply easier to get to without much fuss and their dollar stretches a lot further.
Oh, sorry, you might need French because some parts of Canada don't speak English.
Well, would you look at that. It's our neighbors to the north that has become the home of just over 1 million American expats. While most of Canada does speak English and at the very least, English as a second language, there are some parts that speak French. But if you're looking for a country that has a similar make up to America with the same familiar seasons, look no further than Canada.
Canadian Flag GIF by Pudgy PenguinsGiphy
If you've got fancy skills that Canada is in need of, you essentially get to skip the line for immigration with their express entry program. This program uses a point system to evaluate you education, experience, language proficiency, and job offer status, but it's not cheap. Express entry to Canada will run you just over $1,500 CAN, which is around $1,058 USD.
But Americans can visit our friendly neighbors to the north without a visa for up to 180 days. You can use that time to visit different areas to see if it's you find a place you'd like to call home.
Prepare your palate for beans on toast and tea, the UK rounds out top three.
The UK rounds out the top three places with the most American expats with over 325,000 Americans living there. This move may be more of a stretch for the average American's budget, especially if you're moving an entire family. Plane tickets alone for a family of four can run you close to three grand, more depending on what time of year you're flying out and what city you're leaving from.
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A bonus for Americans relocating to the UK is that there won't be a new language to learn, though you will likely need to pick up some regional words. Another perk is while you do need an electronic travel authorization, it costs £119.79 ($149 USD) and lasts six months. But if you want to stay longer than 6 months it gets a bit more complicated and costly if you're not a student, on a family visa or employed in the UK.
These countries also have a high number of American expats:
Germany, Australia, South Korea, France, Japan, and Spain finish up the list with the highest number of American expats with Spain having the lowest amount with around 108,000 Americans. Each country has their own visa and immigration policies with varying levels of ease or difficulty but all of these countries have one thing in common–Americans.
So if you're thinking about moving abroad, checking out a country on this list will have you connecting with fellow expats in no time.
It takes a village, as they say.
People who work with children—teachers, coaches, mentors—are often beloved by the kids they serve, especially if they're good at what they do. Those caring adult relationships are important in a child's life, but they can also lead to some awkward situations as kids learn appropriate ways to show affection to different people. A baby might cover their mother's face with slobbery kisses, but other adults may not appreciate that very much. As kids grow, they learn what's okay and not okay, not just from their parents but from the village of adults in their lives as well.
A perfect example of what that looks like was shared in a video showing a swim instructor at the end of a swim lesson with a toddler who hugged him and then went in for a kiss. The hug was expected and welcome—"Thank you, Mila. I love Mila hugs!" the swim coach said. But when she started to go in for a kiss, he immediately pulled back, gently saying, "No, no kissy. No kissy 'cause I'm coach. You only kiss Mommy and Daddy, okay?"
The little girl looked a bit dejected and started to cry, and he quickly gave her an acceptable alternative. "Okay, hey! High five!" he said, while holding up his hand. "High five 'cause we're all done!" She calmed right down, gave him a high five, and then he moved on to clean-up time.
Watch:
His expression at the end of the video says it all—he knew that was a teachable moment that could have gone very wrong, but he handled it with clear professionalism and toddler-friendly expertise. People loved seeing such a great example:
"So sweet... I sometimes have young clients who want to give kisses and it's so cute but you do have to tell them "no" because it's an important boundary to learn. Not everyone wants kisses!"
"On top of knowing not to do it to other people, it also teaches them for themselves that other people shouldn’t be just giving them kisses."
"The kid is absolutely adorable but that coach is on another level. Creating the boundaries while keeping it cool and recording the whole thing so the parents are extremely comfortable. Dude is setting a hell of example."
"It sounds like he's got a good balance between encouraging her growth and setting appropriate boundaries. Kids can be incredibly affectionate, and it's important to gently guide them in understanding what's suitable."
Jake Johnson Fox GIF by New GirlGiphy
"I also think it’s important for the parents’ comfort that a grown man swimming with their young girl isn’t overstepping boundaries/being predatory. From the outside looking in, it’s hard to know for sure when something is innocent or not. It’s better to just stay away from those situations as a whole."
"The little girls I used to babysit always tried to give me kisses (they were between 2-5) and I had to tell them that I’m not related to you, so you can’t kiss me. You can hi-five or hug me, but no kisses! They still give me running tackle hugs when they see me!"
A few commenters pointed out that some cultures see kissing as totally acceptable, as it's frequently used as a friendly greeting for people of all ages and genders. But even in those cultures, boundaries based on relationships and contexts are important to learn, and it's helpful when adults help teach those lessons so it doesn't all fall on the parents.
Well done, Coach. Thanks for giving us all such a fabulous example to follow.