'Dateline NBC' series puts parental maxims to test

NEW YORK (AP) -- Correspondent Natalie Morales ended up in tears when she put herself and her 8-year-old son through the same parenting test that "Dateline NBC" is subjecting others to for a series that starts Sunday.

Using hidden cameras and actors, the network set up scenarios to see if children really follow their parents' instructions to avoid strangers, don't get into a car with a drunk driver or don't cheat.

The results will probably depress you.

Time and again, children gave their names and addresses to a "stranger" who had taken their picture and talked about putting them on TV. Promised free ice cream, they climbed into a van driven by an actor who could easily close the door on them and speed away. Parents watched it all on monitors nearby.

Picture Courtesy of MSNBC

(Copyright (c) 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)