stranger danger
i hate that we live in a world where there are people who would seek to harm our little ones. and that we have to teach our kids to be wary of strangers. but i came across this list of things to talk about with our kids and wanted to save it for future reference.
1. Adults (or teenagers) don’t NEED help from a kid, so if an adult asks for their
help (finding a dog, lifting something into their car, etc.) that it
should be a warning sign.
2. If someone did try to grab them, I
don’t just want them to scream (because someone could assume that they
are just throwing a tantrum) but I want them to scream “STRANGER, THIS
IS NOT MY DAD/MOM, STRANGER, STRANGER!”
3. If someone tries to
grab them, their best defense is to fall down on their bums and start
kicking as hard as they can (in the groin area) while screaming because
it’s harder for someone to grab them.
4. They need to know their address and phone number.
5.
We teach our kids to have a lot of respect and manners but they have to
know that if they are ever in a bad situation that they do NOT have to
show respect or manners – they have to do whatever they have to do to
get out of the situation.
6. If a car stops along the side of the
road and waits while they are walking in the direction of the car, they
need to turn and walk the opposite way while watching over their
shoulder.
7. Bad guys don’t usually LOOK like bad guys and they
don’t ACT like bad guys either. They often look and act like nice
people because that is how they trick kids.
8. Never leave from
one location, going to a secondary location with someone if they have
not been given permission to do so (by mom or dad) no matter what
anyone says.
9. Being scared is ok, but being smart is what can help them to avoid/get out of a bad situation.
10.
Always ask a person they TRUST (parent, teacher etc.) if they are
concerned or scared and don’t know how to handle a situation. And to trust their gut even when it comes to teachers or family friends– if something doesn’t feel right to trust that feeling.
11. Have a secret family code word so that
if something did happen and someone else would had to pick them up
from school or something, the relative or family friend could use the code word so that they would
know it was OK to go with them.
12. If they get lost and can’t find a police officer (or similar figure),
then they should tell a woman with kids that they are lost rather than a man. The
percentage of women predators is much lower.
and here’s the website to check if there are sex offenders living in your neighborhood (good to check before you buy a house, too): http://www.nationalalertregistry.com
4 Comments
jiNNie_g
I remember visiting Korea when I was 6 and going to the store to pick up candy or ice cream by myself. It was no big deal. Now, I can’t imagine ever letting my 6 year old do something like that.
mamajoyjoy
It’s sad how things have changed. I know that in SF Chinatown, kids can still pretty much wander around in the streets fairly safely. There are tourists and such, but it’s more like a “village” in that most people who own the shops know the kids and their parents. But then you’d have to worry about them being hit by cars with the crazy driving in SF. I think it used to be much simpler. I remember playing in the sprinklers in the front yard during the summers and just riding our bikes wherever, but it’s not like that anymore…which I think is odd considering we can track where our kids are with technology and such. Thanks for sharing the list. #2 reminds me of Kindergarten Cop.
joesee22
Thanks for the list! It really is sad how our kids have to be so careful now. I remember my summers running around the neighborhood without having to worry about getting taken.
greantea71
huh. the first one is a really good point…