Ways to Protect your Child
by John Walsch
Teach your child:
· Their full name, address and phone number, including area code
· How to make a long distance phone call
· How and when to call 911
· To never go near a car with someone in it, or get into one without your permission
· To never admit over the phone that they are home alone
· To never answer the door if they are home alone
· To never go into anyone’s home without your permission
· To tell you when any adult asks them to keep a secret
· To tell you is someone offers them gifts or money or wants to take their picture
As a parent, always remember:
· Never leave your child alone in a car
· Listen when your child tells you when he/she does not want to be with someone; find out why they want to avoid this person
· Encourage open communication; never belittle any fear your child may have
· Have your child’s fingerprints taken and keep them in a safe place
· Have a set plan outlining what your child should do in case they become separated from you in a public place
Other ideas to keep kids safe at home:
Children need to know that their parents will believe them and protect them even if they are telling something about another adult. Often offenders will try to intimidate a child by saying, “No one will believe you. I will just say you are making it up.” A touch that adults try to make children keep to themselves is called an uncomfortable touch and your child needs to know that it is ok to tell this kind of secret. Emphasize that nothing is so bad that they can’t share it with you and that his/her safety comes first.
Another important things to discuss with your child is to trust his/her feeling of discomfort and listen to their initial reaction of “there is something wrong with this.” The personal safety curriculum includes helping children identify bodily cues (listening to our “gut instinct”) when something is not right, such as: a funny feeling in your stomach, heart beating fast, and shaky hands or legs.
The next step is to teach children to act on these bodily cues to get away from the uncomfortable situation and tell a trusted adult. One of the most effective ways to reinforce this is to play the “What if” game at home. For example, if you have a few spare moments driving in your car, you could ask “What if someone you didn’t know asked you to come to her house to help find her lost puppy?” “What if she even had a picture of the puppy?” As you play the “What if” game, remember that there are many right answers and only one wrong one. If you reward your child with a hug or praise for their self-protective answer, then it will reinforce both the survival information and the idea that nothing is so bad that they can’t tell you about it.
Another protective measure is to have a “code word” to use in your family. This is a word that only the family knows. Should an emergency occur and you would have to send someone to pick up your child, he/she would know it was safe to go with that individual only if he/she told your child the code word.
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