Teaching Your Kids About Stranger Danger
The innocence of young children is both a gift and a curse at times. When kids are too young to know that a stranger could be extremely dangerous to approach or talk to, it’s clear to see how this could cause serious problems to arise. It’s important to teach them about these dangers as early as possible for maximal safety. Here are some stranger danger tips to teach your kids:
Strangers in Cars
Dangerous strangers will use vehicles because it’s a quick escape method. No matter where your child may be, you want to make sure they understand that they should never approach a car that isn’t yours. Stress the fact that they should never get in a stranger’s car, or even come near it, despite what they may have to offer.
Tell and Yell
Explain to your child that they must let you know of any stranger that they’ve come in contact with, no matter how insignificant the interaction. If they’re ever approached by a stranger that makes them feel uncomfortable, yell phrases like “help me” or “I don’t know you” in order to get someone’s attention.
Playing Outside
When you allow your child to play outside, make sure they know the area of the yard that they must stay in so that you can still see them. If a stranger comes into the yard or too close for comfort, tell them to run inside to find you.
Plan Safe Areas
While this isn’t always possible, it’s good for your children to know safe areas where they can run to if necessary. If a stranger makes them feel unsafe, they should know to get to the safe area as quick as possible. These areas can be schools, shops, police stations, or a friend’s house.
At Home
Strangers can also pose a threat to your children even when they’re safe inside the house. If your children are very young, they should never be allowed to answer the front door unless you’re nearby. If they are old enough to be home alone, tell your kids to always pretend as if nobody is home when a stranger rings the doorbell.
Online
Once your child is old enough to begin using a computer, they must know the dangers of meeting strangers online as well. Child predators are always lurking on the Internet, and they have to be sure to practice smart computer usage to avoid the possibility of even being contacted by someone of this nature.
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Guest Blog by Stephanie Parker from Sleepingbaby.com, inventor of the Zipadee-Zip
The motto for Sleeping Baby, makers of the Zipadee-Zip, is: "Inspiring Dreams One Night at A time," and that, in a nutshell, is how it all started…with one little dream that has since become the Parker family's reality. When Brett and Stephanie Parker's daughter, Charlotte, was born, the feeling that welled up inside of them was indescribable; they never realized until first looking into those baby blues of hers that they were even capable of that kind of love.
When it was time to transition baby from swaddling, the Parkers tried every sleep sack on the market and every swaddle weaning trick they could find for nearly two weeks and nothing worked to get baby Charlotte to fall and stay asleep.
Stephanie became determined to restore sleep and sanity to their household and set out to find a solution that would soothe Charlotte's startle reflex and provide her the cozy womb-like environment she loved so much but still give her the freedom to roll over and wiggle around in her crib safely. Out of sheer desperation and exhaustion, the Zipadee-Zip was born. The first Zipadee-Zip(R) Stephanie put together on her little sewing machine worked like magic!
To date tens of thousands of Zipadee-Zips have been sold and all from word-of-mouth marketing. It is so rewarding for the Parkers to see other parents and babies getting the sleep they both need and deserve!
For more information, visit sleepingbaby.com.
Interested in writing a guest blog for Sleeping Baby? Send your topic idea to pr@sleepingbaby.com.
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