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A mom has shared some “life changing” tip about having a secret family code word for kids and teens to use when they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
Katie Peters, 43, from Ohio, has gone viral on TikTok after opening up about how her 19-year-old son still uses the word ‘banana’ to let her and her husband know she’s in a worrisome social situation and needs savings.
‘If you are the parent of a child, from 0 to 23 years old, I want you to listen to this. I just want to give you a little advice that can change your life in the relationship with your son,’ said the educator at the beginning of the video.
Peters explained that when her son was around three years old, another parent advised her family to come up with a code word to use in the rare event that she or her husband were unable to pick him up at daycare.
Katie Peters, 43, of Ohio, opened up about the secret code word her family has been using for more than a decade in a viral TikTok video, saying it’s been a “lifesaver.”
The educator and her husband first devised a code word when their son was three years old to help him know who was a “safe person” versus a “stranger trying to kidnap him.”
Family keywords are supposed to help kids tell the difference between a ‘safe person they can get in the car with’ and a ‘stranger trying to kidnap them’.
“So we immediately did that,” he said. We teach him the keyword of the family. He knew he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone what the word was, and the only people who would know that word were the people his father and I implicitly trusted him with. But what he could never have predicted was how long that keyword would come into play.
You see, as our son got older and ventured into social situations that maybe he wasn’t as comfortable with at times, he could call or text us and drop that code word into normal conversation, and he would send a message to his father and me. that he needed to be saved.
Peters shared that when his son was younger, he would sometimes use the code word when spending the night somewhere and feeling homesick.
“When she reached her teens, that word became a lifeline,” she continued. “He was able to use that word whenever he needed to get out of a social situation and still be able to save face with his teammates.”
However, as his son got older, he began to use the word when he felt uncomfortable or unsafe in certain social situations, including parties.
Every time her son used the word in a phone conversation or in a text message, she would immediately call him and demand that he come home.
Every time her son would drop the word in a phone conversation or text message, she would immediately call him and insist that he come home as soon as possible.
“Sometimes he would lie and say he was in trouble for something he hadn’t done and was supposed to do. Sometimes he would say that there had been a family emergency for which he needed to come home immediately. And sometimes she could just play the ‘my mom is crazy’ card and say that she had to leave suddenly,’ she recalled.
Peters said her son has used the word numerous times, including at a party. ‘where people did things that made him uncomfortable’.
“He said that word to me on another occasion in the presence of another person who was asking to spend the night at our house,” he added. ‘My son was able to use the word in conversation to let me know it wasn’t possible. So I said no.
Peters revealed that her family code word is ‘banana’ and said her 19-year-old son still uses it to this day.
The mother also gave examples of how her son introduced the word into everyday conversation, saying it was “every code that let me know he needed my help.”
Peters also shared some tips on choosing the right keyword for your family.
‘The key is that it has to be a word that you can use in normal conversation and other people won’t notice, but also a word that you don’t use too often where you have to wonder if [your child] he really means it,’ he explained.
Peter revealed that the word his family has been using for over a decade is ‘banana’ and gave examples of how his son used it.
‘”Mom, did you remember to get bananas at the store? Hey, I threw out the bananas because they looked rotten. Hey, are you going to take me to Wendy’s next weekend for their new banana milkshake?” All the code that let me know that he needed my help,” she said.
‘I’m telling you, no matter how old your child is, use this today. I’m happy to be considered a crazy mom who makes my son come home late instead of having him in a place where he’s not safe, unwelcome, or uncomfortable.
Peters’ video has been viewed more than 3.8 million times and has received thousands of comments. Many shared stories of their own family keywords and how they were used.
‘Family Code Words for Victory’.
Peters’ video has been viewed more than 3.8 million times and has received thousands of comments.
‘I love this! Our keyword was mom because my daughters just called me mom. It worked great! one woman shared.
‘When [our] The kids were little, every time they went to a friend’s house and felt uncomfortable, they would call me and say, “Mom, I forgot to feed the dog,” recalled another.
Someone else added: ‘A code word saved me from being kidnapped in second grade after school! I will always do this with my children!’
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