With kids heading back to school, it’s a good idea for parents to have a conversation with their little one about “stranger danger.”
If you’ve never had that talk before, you may be wondering what to say.
“When we talk about ‘stranger danger’ we have be careful. We don’t want to create anxiety and fear of your child, but you want to balance that with their safety and their security,” explains Dr. Richard So, pediatrician for Cleveland Clinic Children’s.
So recommends explaining to your child that there’s never a reason an adult would need a child’s help finding something.
He says it’s also a good idea to go over some scenarios where a bad person might ask them for help.
For example, they might say they lost their puppy and need help finding it. They may try to entice them with treats or even electronics.
According to KidsHealth.org, “most kids are likely to be wary of strangers who are mean-looking or appear scary in some way. But most predators and abductors are regular-looking people, and many go out of their way to look friendly, safe, and appealing to children. So, instead of judging a person by appearance, teach kids to judge people by their actions. It’s also important to encourage kids to trust their own instincts. Teach them that if someone makes them feel uncomfortable or if they feel like something’s just not right — even if they can’t explain why — they need to walk away immediately.”
So says it’s also important to teach your kids who the “good people” are like police officers, firefighters and teachers. Or, someone with a badge at a store.
“If there are no uniformed people, look for grandparents, women, and people with children who may be able to help,” according to KidsHealth.org.“
Another helpful tip can be to come up with a family password.
“I tell my patients to have a secret family password that is only between your family, so if someone comes up to my child and says, ‘Hey your mom is running behind, she’s at the hospital, she was in a car accident, she told me to pick you up.’ My kids are trained to say, “Hey, what’s our secret family password?” he says.
If your child gets lost, So says it’s okay to tell them they can ask another parent for help. Most parents would happily lend a hand in that kind of situation.
