Nanny Be Safe: Self-defense class targets caregivers
11/30/2015 12:33 pm PST
There are more than a million caregivers looking after children every day in the United States.
Who is looking after them? Crime Watch Daily met up with a self-defense expert who's now teaching a class specifically geared to the men and women in charge of caring for kids.
Every parent's nightmare, every nanny's single greatest fear: Having someone else's child snatched away or harmed under their watch.
Nannies are fighting back. Nanny Be Safe is a new self-defense course designed to educate and empower the people entrusted to watch over our precious children.
Leading the charge is Jarrett Arthur, a world-renowned self-defense expert and a black-belt in Krav Maga, and Jeremiah Hart, a military man with a history in law enforcement. His specialty is stopping active shooters.
The principles of Nanny Be Safe are rooted in Krav Maga, a self-defense system developed by the Israeli Defense Forces, but modified for super-busy nannies.
Step One: Prevention. This means put down the cellphone and open up the eyes.
Step Two: Avoidance. If something feels doesn't feel right, take action and don't be afraid to speak up.
Step Three: What to do in a worst-case scenario.
"What parts of my body can I use as a weapon to fight back with? Elbows, heel of palm, knee, fingers and thumbs."
Every skill teaches nannies how to ward off a bad guy, even with a child in tow.
Jarrett says when all else fails, go for the most painful targets: "Eyes, nose, throat and groin."
Nanny Be Safe also recommend families have a safety plan in place, practice safety drills with kids in a playful manner, and have a special code word that only parents, children and nannies know.
