Sheltering in place isn't new for children who live in neighborhoods plagued by gun violence, and shootings haven't eased during the pandemic. St. Louis families improvise to keep kids safe.
While some of the children's deaths were caused by accidental shootings inside a home, regular gunfire outside is a hurtful reminder that adults have to find ways to keep children safe. And while parents hope their kids grow into healthy adults, evidence shows that children who grow up around violence or witness it frequently are more likely to have health problems later in life.
"Can you imagine as a child, you are sleeping, you know, no care in the world as you sleep and being jarred out of your sleep to get under the bed and hide?" Davis asks. Teachers at the center remind the children of their hand-washing, meal time and academic routines. They also make sure the kids remember what to do when gunfire erupts nearby. Assistant director Tawanda Brand runs a gunfire safety drill once a month. First, she tells the children to get ready. Then, she shouts:"Dora the Explorer!"
During a drill one morning before the pandemic, most of the children got down. Others walked around, sending Brand on a chase as she tried to corral the group of 3- to 5-year-olds.The Little Explorers protocol isn't like the"active shooter" drills that took place in schools around the country on the rare chance someone would come inside to shoot — as at Columbine, Parkland or Sandy Hook. The day care program performs these drills because nearby shootings are an ongoing threat.
Trice called parents that day to see if they wanted to pick up their children early. Nicollette Mayo was one of the parents who received a call from the teachers. She knows the neighborhood faces challenges, but can't see her 4-year-old daughter, Justice, and infant son, Marquis, going anywhere else.
Long before the coronavirus pandemic pushed the world to isolate at home, the Hicks family had their own version of sheltering in place. But it was from gun violence. When they hear gunshots outside their home in East St. Louis, Ill., everyone hides in the dark.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Should You Put Your Kids Back in Day Care? An Expert Weighs InAs day-care facilities begin to reopen during COVID-19, an expert advises parents on what they should expect in terms of safety measures for their kids.
Read more »
The Queen Once Hid in a Bush with Her Corgis to Avoid a Controversial Guest at Buckingham PalaceWhen Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu visited London in 1978, the Queen didn't care for him and even hid in a bush to avoid him.
Read more »
Abbey Clancy and Peter Crouch suffer 'complete chaos' with their 'feral' kidsAbbey and Peter are trying to home-school two of the kids, while the 'feral babies' run about the house
Read more »
Quarantining at home can mean being online all the time. For your own sake, unplug.'We need to build a future where we have a sustainable relationship with the environment, technology, time, and each other,' writes tiffanyshlain for usatodayopinion.
Read more »
Families still need care, but many are afraid of nursing homes amid the coronavirus pandemicFamilies are struggling with what to do about long-term care for loved ones who need specialized attention as coronavirus cases soar in group homes.
Read more »