"Dad, what's a kidnapper?"

Thanks to some little girl in Lindsey's class, this was the question that Lindsey asked us last night. Yes, one of her classmates proceeded to tell Lindsey and two of her friends that there was a kidnapper on the loose out in the country...swell...the three girls told her to stop talking about it because they didn't know what that was, and it was scaring them. Scared isn't descriptive enough. Lindsey was terrified last night that someone was going to "kidnap" her. I explained to her that yes, there are such things as kidnappers and that is why Mommy ALWAYS has to have her in sight, and that I never leave her alone anytime, anywhere. I assured her that it doesn't happen often and that there wasn't a kidnapper on the loose as far as I knew. We then prayed for protection as we do each day.....I know this is just the beginning of her "education"...but it is so frustrating...as it turns out the little girl said she heard it on the radio...we don't keep the news or the radio on with the kids around for this very reason.....there is no good news on the news...I just want to preserve her innocence for as long as possible and tell her things on a need to know basis right now...she will have a lifetime of worrying about all the evil in this lost world...