Keeping your children safe

Overprotective is a bad word for most parents. You don't want to stifle your children, keeping so close an eye on them that they never gain their independence. But who doesn't want to gather their kids close and hold on for dear life after reading stories like this one about the two girls who were shot to death in a small Oklahoma town?

The key, as in most everything, is balance, experts say. The National Crime Prevention Council gives a few tips on keeping your children safe in their own neighborhood. Although they may seem like common sense, many parents don't follow through on a regular basis.

Know where your children are. Meet their friends and their friends' parents.

Have regular check-in times so you know if something is wrong.

Outline a boundary in the neighborhood for them so that they know where they can go and where they can't.

Point out safe places where they can run for help.

Help your children learn important phone numbers by heart.

TIME magazine talked with Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2003. The NCMEC has a "no, go, tell" plan for children, Allen said.

"Kids have the right to say no. If a grown-up comes to a child asking for help looking for a puppy or for directions, the child should get a trusted adult to help instead.

Kids don't have to be polite. We put a huge premium on making sure our kids are polite to a fault, especially to adults, and that translates into: "do what the man says."

Communicate. If a child feels frightened, they should be encouraged to talk with a trusted person: mom, dad, counselor or teacher. The message for parents? Listen to your kids."

Learn more about the plan here.