If you have children, there’s no doubt you want to keep them safe from harm. When kids are young, they don’t come equipped with the knowledge to keep themselves out of sticky situations, so it’s your job to give them the tools they need to remain unscathed.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where children are not beyond the reach of people who would see them damaged, harmed, or even killed. The trick is to teach your children how to keep themselves safe without freaking them out about the world in which they live.
Age appropriate countermeasures are necessary. Check out this brief look at a few ways to protect your child from a dangerous/harmful situation, and consider how you could help better arm your kids.
Set up some nonchalant code words/phrases
Your kids may not always know how to exit a particularly sticky situation. It helps to teach them a few code words or phrases that will alert you to an issue. For instance, your child is at a friend’s house when their parents begin fighting.
With a predetermined code word/phrase, they can text or call you, and act like nothing is out of the ordinary. Set up a code phrase like, “My tummy feels gross,” or, “My eyes are burning.” This action will take the hesitation away from their retreat from an uncomfortable situation.
Make sure your child understands boundaries
Your child needs to fully understand personal boundaries before they are able to alert you of unusual or inappropriate behavior. Teach your children that no one is allowed to touch them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, not even their parents.
Speak in anatomically correct terms when teaching your children about personal physical boundaries. Awareness and knowledge are the strongest defense against abuse in a truly unpredictable world.
Teach them about “stranger danger”
It’s still a good method to teach your children not to talk to anyone they do not know. What you should remember is that the vast majority of abuse to children is inflicted by someone they know. Don’t neglect to keep a watchful eye on blatant situations.
Equip yourself with the tools to spot a problem
Your child can’t do all the work. Teach yourself to spot the signs of a problem. Learn where abuse is most likely to occur and by whom. Dig into the many different resources which are available to parents, and make yourself a safety expert.
Monitor your children’s online use
There should never be a five-year-old surfing the web unattended. It’s vital that you heavily monitor your children’s internet activity, as there are a million and one different ways to get into a bad situation online.
