For most parents, nothing is as scary as losing their child to kidnappers or child molesters. Since most parents can’t watch their kids all day every day, they need to teach their kids how to avoid strangers without making them unnecessarily afraid.
The good thing is most kids will instinctively avoid mean and scary looking individuals. Unfortunately, most child abductors or molesters look like regular and even nice people who often dole out candies and small gifts to kids.
So, given these odds, how can parents teach their children to have a natural distrust for strangers until they are older and can automatically protect themselves more?
Talk to Them About Safety
This also means instructing them on what to do when you’re out and about with them. Simple instructions such as “stay close”, “hold your brother’s hands”, “don’t let go of my hand” and all such similar statements repeated frequently will register in their minds, causing them to stay away or avoid strangers.
Talk to Them and Tell Them What Not to Do Around Strangers
The truth is children often need guidance. So, you should teach them what to do and not do around strangers.
Parents, for the most part, should tell their children to refuse gifts from strangers, not talk to strangers –even if they are right outside your home-, shouldn’t answer strangers who ask for help, not go close to the door or windows of any vehicle without mommy or daddy, run away from strangers who come too close or attempt to touch them, not touch pets that aren’t theirs even when invited to come touch the pets, and yell when a stranger tries to carry them.
Teach Them to Say No to Gifts from Strangers Unless You Say it’s Okay
Kids are more trusting and tend to have fewer inhibitions about collecting things from strangers. It’s probably why they are easily lured by small gifts like candies, gums, chocolates and so on.
So, teach them that it isn’t okay to collect anything from strangers unless you are there and give them the go-ahead. This is very important because kids generally tend to want some other stuff even when they’re already full or have their own toys.
It’s the appeal of new things. When you link permission for collecting stuff from other people to you, they will, for the most part, either shy away from strangers or tell them an outright no.
Show Them Safe Strangers
Sometimes, kids may inevitably wander off in the mall or a public place. They could also miss their way from school or anywhere. In this instance, show them which strangers they can trust if they were to ever get missing or lost.
Some of these safe strangers include teachers, policemen, firefighters, principals, the crossing guard, doctors, such as those at Night Lite Pediatrics, and others. You can do this by pointing them out when you go out or show them in picture books at home.
Finally, it’s your duty as the parent to ensure that you kids are safe at all times. So, put up measures that will help minimize their exposure to strangers and danger. Provide the necessary protection when they are at home.
If you live in a place with an open front yard, teach them not to play there alone. Instead, provide an alternative like the enclosed backyard where they can play by themselves or with their friends.
If you cannot be around your children all day –we understand that most parents have to go to work- make sure someone is looking after them. It can be a maid or the people at the daycare. Just make sure that there is some sort of supervision within an enclosed and secure place. That way, there’s fewer chances of the kids wandering off when no one is looking.
Oscar King is a freelance writer and family man who ensures the safety of his kids. He has written a couple articles with insight and tips into raising healthy and safe little ones. If you would like to learn more about Oscar, check out his google+ profile.
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