AlarmBee
1. Walk the route together — at least three times
Not once. The first time, you lead. The second, your child leads and you follow in silence. The third, your child explains out loud what they're doing at every crossing. That turns the route from something they remember into something they decide.
2. One route, not the shortest one
Pick one fixed route and agree it doesn't change without a message. Favour streets with lighting, pavements and people, even if they add five minutes. Avoid parks and underpasses that are deserted at the times your child comes home.
3. Set up "safe havens"
Two or three fixed shops along the route — a bakery, a pharmacy, a kiosk — that your child knows are open at the times they pass, and that they can walk into if something frightens them. Take them there once and say hello to whoever's behind the counter. One familiar face is worth ten instructions.
4. The "tell me and you won't be in trouble" rule
The biggest risk isn't that something happens. It's that your child doesn't tell you, because they're afraid they'll be blamed. Say it explicitly and repeat it: whatever happens, whatever you've done, I want to know, and you will not be punished for telling me.
5. Rehearse the scenarios, without the drama
- "If an adult you don't know asks you for help — adults ask other adults for help. Walk away."
- "If a car is following you, turn and walk in the opposite direction to the one it's facing."
- "If you get lost, go into the nearest open shop. Don't wander around looking."
- "If someone grabs you, shout 'this is not my dad' — not just 'help'. People react differently."
6. The phone: an agreement, not a weapon
If your child has a phone, make sure it charges every night and that they know how to call from a locked screen. 112 works across the EU free of charge, even without credit, and gives your location to the emergency services. Teach it alongside your own number.
This is where a panic button helps: in a frightening moment a child doesn't unlock, doesn't find a contact and doesn't explain. They press one button. AlarmBee sends a siren to every parent phone along with location and photos — without the child having to say a word. See the comparison with smartwatches and GPS trackers.
7. Whatever you set up, test it
Run a real test one Saturday: your child presses the button, you see what arrives and how fast. A safety system that has never been tested isn't a safety system — and testing removes your child's hesitation about using it "in case it isn't serious enough".
8. Review every September
Timetables change, so do schools, friends, and the hour it gets dark. Ten minutes of conversation at the start of each school year is enough to stop a rule from 2024 still governing a child in 2026.
Note: this guide offers general practical advice and does not replace guidance from your local police or school. In an emergency, call 112.