Stranger danger is something that we were all taught about as kids and is a key part of developing the appropriate safety levels which are part of interacting with people in society. I recently had a problem with my three-year-old son. Somebody was ringing on the doorbell and I was in the living room with a friend who was visiting. My son assumed that it was someone he knew that was coming for a visit – perhaps grandma or a playdate. I asked him to keep away from the door and the window but all he wanted to do was trot up to the door and open it. When strangers come over, I don’t particularly need them to see the fact that I have young children – but sometimes it can’t be helped. This is just one instance of educating your kids about stranger danger – without them becoming fearful of strangers.
Get your kids used to strangers
When you’re out in public, it’s a great thing to say hello to people and to make eye contact with them as a way of being polite – but you need to have boundaries between being polite and being over the top. Kids learn from watching their parents and you need to make sure that your behaviour mirrors that of the behaviour that you would want your kids to put forward. You don’t need your kids to think that it’s perfectly fine to chatter away to everyone that you meet – but they shouldn’t be scared about talking to strangers in measured ways.
Here are some guidelines for your kids to follow when dealing with strangers who aren’t parents or who aren’t safe or trusted people that are known to you and your family:
- A stranger is going to be anyone that you don’t know – and even if that person looks very appealing (they have lollies or balloons or treats) or if that person looks safe, they’re still a stranger.
- You can not go anywhere with a stranger or get into a stranger’s car. Same rule applies. Even if it’s raining hard and you’re in the rain, or if you need to get somewhere, you can’t get into cars.
- Don’t take anything from a stranger. No food, no lollies, no animals or gifts.
- Don’t pet any animals that belong to strangers. They may have a lovely soft bunny or a kitten or puppy, but you cannot pet it. It’s not yours and it’s the strangers, which means that you can’t touch.
- Kids are kids. That means that strangers shouldn’t be asking kids for help. If you are in a situation when a stranger is asking you for help (and you’re a child) then you need to get away from them as quickly as you can.
- Stay away from the doors and windows when someone comes to visit your house, and let an adult go to the door to greet people.
- If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, you need to tell someone you trust like your mum or dad or another adult, as quickly as you can.
- If anyone tries to take you you need to struggle out of their grasp and run away as fast as you can. Yell and make as much noise as possible, too.
- Never wander away by yourself.
In regards to the final point on this list of stranger danger tips – it’s not possible to protect your child from every other risk, but you can watch over them with the GPS tracker for kids by Skynanny. It helps you to keep an eye on them when they’re not in your line of sight. Consider it as another line of defence for your kids against strangers.
