Follow the $1 mil. rule to protect your children

Like most responsible parents, I get very disturbed when I read about a child being lost or abducted. Too often this is the result of a parent, baby sitter or other caretaker leaving the child alone, in a car for example, for absurd reasons such as "I just ran into the store for a minute to get some bread" and other such ridiculous excuses.

I have a rather simple solution that I wish I could pass on to every parent in the world to solve, or at least reduce, this problem; I call it the "million-dollar rule." Basically it goes like this: Never leave a young child alone anywhere that you would not leave $1 million in cash alone, exposed and unprotected.

The rule is easy to remember and should also ask parents how much they value - or at least should value - their children. If you wouldn't leave $1 million there, don't leave your child there.

Jerry Gosse

Hoffman Estates