I have discovered the greatest distraction to awareness and, for me at least, it’s not a cell phone. It’s my little girl.

Over the past 19 months, I have realized that it is much harder to stay focused on potential threats considering the amount of time and attention that a young one needs. This bothers me, even more so as, like most parents, one of my main goals in life is to keep her safe and sound.

One of the most vulnerable times with a young child is when putting him or her into that wonderful contraption called the car seat, especially when the little one doesn’t have the mind to go into it. It can take a lot of concentration to wrestle an active little one into the straps, combine the clips and thread the seat belt through the connectors, leaving you open to attack. Because of this, I have adjusted my standard routine.

While I have always taken a good look around before approaching my vehicle, I now take extra care to look around, sometimes even walking past the car to ensure no one is hiding between the gaps. I also plant my back against the open door as best I can to provide some protection for my blind side and to use my peripheral vision to keep a look out for an approaching person.

Another time when it is difficult for me to stay aware is when I’m outside playing with my kid. Like most children, she desires my attention pretty much all the time, and when I’m not providing it, she is determined to get that attention one way or another, or quickly take off toward something she shouldn’t. Either way, my attention is diverted, limiting my ability to protect her from everything from an unlikely attack or, more likely, an approaching car.

So, if you ever see me not paying close attention to where I’m heading, it’s probably because of a cute little blonde girl who I’m trying to keep in sight. At least it’s not a cell phone. Share your biggest distraction and how you solved it, and if it’s determined you have the best one, I’ll send you a very interesting holster for a 9 mm pistol.