Teaching Children Personal Safety
It's a scary world out there today. We want to protect them and teach them to be safe without scaring them with all that is evil in this world today. Here are some suggestions on ways to teach your children what to do when a stranger approaches.
What If Game:
One very useful tool to help you teach personal safety to your child is the "What If" game. In this game you come up with questions or situations and your child comes up with the answer. For example:
Parent: Let's pretend that you are home alone and the phone rings. You pick up the phone and it's someone that you don't know. They start asking you who you are and if your parents are home. What do you do?
Let your child answer. It's okay if they get a wrong answer. It's better to make the mistake with you rather than with a stranger. If they do get a wrong answer, don't insult or belittle them. Help the child reach the right answer. Teach him/her. Don't get angry with them.
If the child gives you the right answer probe on. For example:
Parent: Suppose an old man came up to you and said that he lost his puppy and he needs you to help him find it. Would you go?
Child: No.
Parent: Suppose an old man came up to you and said that he lost his kitten and he needs you to help him find it. Would you go?
Child: Yes.
Parent: Why?
Child: That's easy. A kitten needs more help finding his way home than a puppy does.
What happened here is that the child did not understand the concept of staying away from strangers like the parent thought. Instead it was the puppy vs. the kitten that helped him decide. If the parent assumed that the child understood after the first question they would have never known the truth without probing further. Always ask why.
Some examples to use for "What If" games are: being home alone and doorbell ringing or phone ringing, getting separated from parents at a public place, playing in a park and a stranger asks them personal questions about their name and where they live, different stranger scenarios, familiar people touching them, etc. Make up your own for any situation you fear may come up.
Role Playing:
This is similar to the "What If" game except that instead of just asking questions, you act out the situations above with a child. For example:
Parent: I'm a stranger approaching you in a car. Hey kid, how about a lollipop.
Child: No thanks.
Parent: Now I'm a different stranger. Hey kid, your mom just called and said that your dad is hurt and she wants me to take you to meet them at the hospital. Hop in.
Child: No way. (or) What's the codeword.
Stories:
Tell the child a story about a situation and then ask follow-up questions such as: Is it a safe or unsafe situation, What is the rule, What can you do or say, Who can you tell, etc.
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