Mom Q&A: How Do You Keep Kids Safe?

Welcome to "Moms Talk," a weekly Patch feature designed to reach out to moms and families. Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in the village.

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions.

Moms, dads, grandparents and the families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

Moms Talk will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation:

Stranger Alert

In recent weeks, there have been numerous reports of "suspicious individuals" approaching children in Bergen County, . Ridgewood police reported that a man described as Middle-Eastern, wearing a turban, attempted to lure an RHS student into his green van while she waited at the bus on the morning of Feb. 2. The student did not honor the request and the driver reportedly fled when another student approached the bus stop. Police continue to investigate the incident.

There have also been numerous reported incidents in the past year of suspicious individuals engaging in sexually inappropriate conduct in the presence of children (usually public masturbation).

So moms and dads, how do you tell your children about predators?

Have you had the stranger talk with your child? If so, what did you say? If not, what are you waiting for? What do you think is the right age to discuss this with your children? 

Start talking: Just type in the comments section at the bottom of this page.