The Boy's Store Blog

When it comes to our kids we want them to be strong, smart, and safe. It is difficult being a parent, we have to teach our kids how to be strong and stand up for themselves but not become bullies, how to be smart but not belittle others opinions, and how to stay safe without being a worrisome child at misses out on life. Finding middle ground can be difficult, almost impossible. But when it comes to teaching our kids about being safe around strangers we cannot be soft. We have to make sure our kids understand what they need to do to protect themselves, because let’s face it, we won’t always be there.

Stranger Danger has been a common lesson amongst children for years. Don’t talk to strangers, don’t get into cars with strangers, don’t take food from strangers. But still you hear about kids that just don’t make it known that the person near them is a stranger. Either they are afraid to act out and make it known that they are in a scary situation, they don’t have the chance to, or they are afraid to talk back to an adult. So our first tip on dealing with stranger danger is this: tell your kids they have the right to act out! Let them make a scene. Scream, yell, kick, hit, make as much noise as possible and say loudly “this is not my Mommy this is a stranger HELP!” If you want to let your kids practice this in the backyard or house. They will love getting to act out and be as loud and bad as they can be, and you will be able to egg them on urging em to be louder, and more forceful. Because they need to be able to make their needs known.

Our next big tip is teach your child what types of strangers are ok. Police officers, firemen, teachers, and doctors. Let them know that they can run to these people if they need help. That they need to tell these people what is happening, who they are, and that they need help. These are people who are trained to protect, serve, and help us. Take your child to the police department, the fire department or a hospital and show them how these people help us. Make them understand that they are always available. Also make sure they know how to call on a phone for emergency services. 911 is the number to remember.

Talk to your kids about a secret code word. If you or your family is ever unable to come and pick up your child then let your child know someone will come to get them and tell them the code word. If they do not know the code word and say that they were sent by your parents do not ever go with them. Lots of children are taken advantage of because they are told by their abductors that they were sent by Mommy or Daddy. If you have a code word this is less likely to happen. Your child will know this person is bad and is lying to them, and they will know to act out and run.

One of the most important tips for stranger danger is for a child to trust their feelings. If they are in a situation that makes them feel uncomfortable it is probably a bad situation. Let your child know that if they feel bad or uncomfortable they can tell someone and tell them no, leave me alone, go away. Then they can act out and scream for help.

While we can never guarantee that our kids will always be safe we can help them gather the informations and tools they need to protect themselves when we are not there. One of the most important things each child needs to know is their phone number, address, and parents names. These things can be tools to help them when they need it. So please take the time to teach your child these things. If your child is young try teaching them in a song or poem. Children are more likely to remember these things when they have a rhyme or rhythm.

At the end of the day we all do what we can to prepare our kids. As parents it is one of our most important jobs. So please make sure you and your family have the stranger danger talk, it may save your life one day.