HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: Summer will soon be here, and I felt it was important to talk to my three kids about “stranger danger.” Since all of them are young (ages 4, 6, 7), I wanted to make sure they understood that not all people are good or kind.

We designed a secret code word so that if anyone ever tells my child that I sent them to pick my child up, the person has to know the secret code word. If they don’t know it, my child is to yell and run as fast as they can to get away. If the stranger runs after them, they are to run to a policeman, a woman with children or into a store where there are people.

Every year, too many kids just disappear.

— Juliet B., Maplewood, Minn.

DEAR READER: Every parent should have this type of code system in place with their children. According to factretriever.com, every 40 seconds a child disappears in the United States. The first three hours are said to be the most crucial to finding a child. Due to technological advances, about 99% of missing children come home alive. For additional information, go to findthekids.org.

DEAR HELOISE: One of the most popular scams at present is to send a letter or call someone and tell them they are a debt collector and demand payment. They might threaten to ruin your credit, call your employer (never tell them who your employer is) or to repossess your car or furniture. If you know that you don’t owe the debt or if you paid off the debt, don’t send them money. They might even start harassing you with phone calls. If this happens, report them to usa.gov/stop-scamsfrauds.

— Harold P., Los Angeles

DEAR HELOISE: Our daughter is graduating high school this year, and her aunt already has a gift for her. I thought it was a very clever idea, so I thought I’d pass this along.

Her aunt bought a kit that contains a hammer, pliers, wrench, duct tape, nails in various sizes and a few screws, along with a multi-head screwdriver. As I recall, I needed all these things when I was in college, so this kit will come in handy for my daughter.

— Barbara W., Kearney, Neb.

DEAR READER: I had a set of tools when I was in college. My dad gave me a set, and I was very popular on my floor! I marked my tools with my initials in pink nail polish. That way no one could claim them except me.

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email Heloise@Heloise.com

HELOISE