Summertime is the the perfect opportunity to sit down with your young child and share some Play-It-Safe rules. Do you teach your kids about safety? Child safety is important in this fast paced digital age. Here are six rules grownups should teach kids to Play-It-Safe.
Six Rules for Child Safety
1. “I Am the Boss of My Body!”
Every child should feel their body belongs to them, and they can be the ‘boss of it.’ Being the boss of your body means they have the right to say no to any kind of touch, even if it’s from someone they usually care about. It’s not that all touching is bad, but sometimes a child doesn’t want a tickle or a hug from someone.
2. “I know my name, address and phone number, and my parent’s names too”
Don’t forget: kids need to know their parents’ cell phone numbers.
3. “I never go anywhere or take anything from someone I don’t know.”
4. “I must check first with my parent or guardian for permission before I go anywhere, change my plans, or get into a car, even it it’s with someone I know. If I can’t check first, then the answer is NO!”
Remind your child about the “check first rule” whenever you’re on your way to the park, a party or event, or even when they’re playing outside. “Check first” is a great way to monitor what someone is asking from your child.
5. “If I ever get lost in a public place, I can freeze & yell or go to a Mom with kids and ask for help.”
Studies have shown that another mom with kids will be most sympathetic to a lost, frightened child and will stay with that child until the problem is resolved.
6. “I will always pay attention to my special inner voice, especially if I get an ‘Uh-Oh’ feeling.”
That’s a child friendly way to describe our instinct, when someone or something just doesn’t seem right. It’s crucial to teach kids to listen to their “uh-oh feeling.” You can say to your child: The “uh-oh” feeling is the little voice in your head that tells you “Uh-oh, this doesn’t seem right.” We want our children to feel comfortable telling us anytime they get an “uh-oh feeling.” It’s an empowering message for kids to know they can trust that feeling AND they can share that feeling with us at anytime.
What other child safety tips would you add?
Special thanks to FabKids for this Stripe Bow Back Dress.
Thank you Abbie Schiller of The Mother Company for this guest post.
In general, we teach our kids to be aware of their surroundings. Not just other people, but object too (crossing the street, etc.).
That’s a great tip to add, Scott.
These are great tips. Really empowering the child to stand up, say no and look for help is HUGE! We also talk about where we are anytime we go somewhere new and busy. Ask them “What would you do if you could not find us?”
That is a great one, Mary. Yes, I should be doing that with my kids. Thank you!
Great tips! I will never forget when my daughter was in pre-k they had a little class party and each child had to stand up and talk about the important info as they introduced themselves. I was shocked how many 5 year olds did not know their parents real names!
We taught our daughter when she was 5 – even though she was homeschooled. It is important. I’ll have to continue to quiz her this summer, to make sure she remembers.
Very good points. WE try to teach our hard-headed little one these things – I just hope they sink in!!
This is a great reminder. With summer around the corner, it’s important that we remind children of these situations and give them solutions.
We call it “radar” and we talk about trusting those instincts all the time. Thanks for posting. Hello from Happy Home Life.