Ways to initiate safety to your kids
Written by Shreelakshmi Sai Swaminathan | For Parents/Guardians ; Discretion Advised
Safety is always seen as a topic that is often presented to kids in a very frightening way, that they become cautious of the world. However, if parents presented safety in a more empowering way to their kids, they would still be more cautious while still staying confident. Instilling this confidence in the children from a very young age helps them grow and flourish in a more responsible manner.
Remembering Important Info.
A very smart idea to implement is to have your child remember important information. This can be very helpful if your child is lost and needs to give information to a trusted adult (ex: teacher or police officer). The information can be basic things like knowing emergency contacts(ex: parent or guardian), home address, and the name of the parent or guardian. How to dial 911 is also another bonus measure that parents/guardians can take to ensure that their child knows how to dial for safety.
Understanding Basic Safety Rules
A key thing for parents/guardians to implement with their kids is what to do in school to remain safe. This can mean being in a visible sight of a trusted adult. Teaching kids that they can be kind to strangers while still maintaining boundaries with them is very crucial to their early stages of growth. This also helps them understand stranger awareness, also known as street smartness, which can help them with their distinction between safe adults versus unsafe adults. A technique that is often used as parents that is very beneficial to your kid is giving real life scenario and asking them to give a proper solution as to how they would react in situations to protect themselves.
Enforcing Situational Awareness
Enforcing Situational Awareness with your child is one of the best ways for your child to apply their skills first-hand. These skills can be things like encouraging kids to pay attention to their surroundings. This way they can learn to trust their instincts in case they feel that something wrong is going on around the. Another things to each your child is for them to find a safe exits or a safe place in a public area if they feel unsafe in a specific place. Teaching them to use the buddy system is arguably one of the best strategies to teach them in order to be safe in public places. This means staying with a group or walking with friends to ensure protections.
Key Takeaway
The key takeaway is teaching kids to have responsibility that helps them make mature desicions from a young age instead of keeping them in a terrified state and not letting their responsibility bloom as they go into the real world.