Guest Author - Sunniej Jackson

We have to look at child loss from all angles especially important preventive measures. Runaways make up the largest percentage of missing children. We also have to remember if there are more siblings in the home that we have to continue to be nurturers and supporters of these children. A lost child resulting from abduction, death or runaway will always be remembered in your heart and home and efforts in the case of runaways or abduction cannot control the home for long extended periods of time without negatively affecting the siblings left at home.

Families have to seek positive activities to involve their children in that foster strong bonds and strengthen self image and confidence. There are many activities from sports to arts depending on your child’s abilities and interests as well as the interest of the rest of the family members.

Pageants can be great for all ages of boys and girls. All pageants have strict guidelines that must be adhered to and age appropriately include scholastic achievement, speaking ability, volunteer services and ad sales to sponsors (family, friends and local business). Some pageants even include church involvement. Of course, pageants vary from large to small as well as requirements and awards. It is quite possible to pay for a college education with scholarships earned solely from pageant winnings.

Pageantry is an exciting, positively charged, forgetful world full of beauty, talent, confidence building and energy. There are a number of wonderfully positive pageants in which to enter your children. I have experienced them from the outside looking in and right in the midst of all the happenings from the judge’s side. Most youth pageants include workshops to improve self-confidence and create positive attitudes. In the National American Miss Pageant the contestants are taught that they all are winners. I can say first hand after speaking with hundreds of girls during the personal interview sessions that the contestants feel that they gained greatly personally from the entire experience and express a new sense of confidence and achievement. This is true from contestants that have been in numerous pageants as well as those that this was their first pageant. Every contestant that I have ever asked “Would you do this again?” answered yes emphatically.

There are thousands of pageants all over the country from large to small and from one day to an entire weekend. Check your local listings, pageant magazines and the internet to find an appropriate pageant for your child or children.

If we can nurture our children, teach them safety techniques, communicate openly, know their friends and keep abreast of their whereabouts we can increase the chances of keeping our children safe at home where they should want to be. Families must create and maintain a positive, supportive atmosphere in our homes to reduce the vast number of child runaways.