By: Elliott Brown
As much as we parents want to pretend otherwise, the world can be a dangerous place. Children and adults alike face myriad threats every day, such as potential muggings, car accidents, and burglaries — to name a few. If you want to keep your children safe, it’s important that they develop certain habits. These habits will ensure that they see the world around them in the proper light, and will prepare them for the world they will face as they grow older. Here are a few things to start teaching your kids now:
Stranger AND Friend Danger
The “Stranger Danger” concept is partially right, as there are many people that your children don’t know that will try to abduct or harm them. However, a surprising number of crimes are perpetrated by people that the children know. Help them to understand the difference between proper and improper behavior, and teach them to stay in close communication with you and each other. They can’t just view strangers with suspicion, but help them learn how to evaluate the actions of other adults that they know.
Safe Communication and Home Habits
It’s best for your children to avoid answering the door and telephone if at all possible, especially if one of the adults are home. If they do need to answer the telephone, teach them not to give out their name. Proper phone etiquette dictates that the person calling give their name and reason for calling, but volunteering information can lead to security problems like identity theft, blackmail calls, and even burglaries. Teach your kids never to open the door if there are no adults at home, and to call you if they notice anything strange. Check out www.homesecuritysystems.com to find a home security system that will help them to stay safe if at home alone.
Home Safety and Accident Prevention
There are many things around the house that are dangerous to the children, such as the stove, cleaning supplies, the car, the power tools, and more. If you have a firearm, show it to your children and teach them about it as much as you feel comfortable. You may not want to teach them how to shoot, but they should at least know how to hold it without shooting it. Help them to realize that there are a lot of things around the house that can cause injuries, such as high bunk beds, stairs, attics, basements, etc. Help them to realize that they need to think before they do something, as that will help them to avoid getting injured in a silly accident that could have been avoided easily.
Driving Safety
Your kids may not yet be driving, but they certainly need to learn how to drive and ride in a car safely. Teach them the importance of buckling their seatbelts, and show them a video of a crash dummy in an accident so they can see what happens when they aren’t wearing seatbelts. Teach them the rules of the road at a young age, how to merge and exit safely, the right way to turn, the road signs, and all of the other areas of the road. The most important thing to remember is that the kids will eventually drive, so teach them how to drive safely from a young age!
I live in a small Georgia town that you most likely have never heard of and I LOVE it! My house is more than full as I am a single mother of four & caregiver to my aging mother and uncle. Lover of all things Outlander. Goes to the beat of her own drum woman.
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Great tips! The “stranger danger” is one we really need to look at. Not only are kids sometimes harmed by people they know, but small kids don’t really understand the term “stranger.”
It is so important to teach Children Safety Habits. Home safety is so important because there are so many hidden dangers around. Putting guns away is so important because you always hear of a child getting a gun and getting injured. Also put away the lighters. Someone’s house just burned down in my City because the parents did not keep the lighter hidden!
And kids need to know how to dial 911 on a cell phone. They need to know how to press the phone key to connect and what information to give. We practice this with our Pre-K students.
I’ll continue storing up these little tips and tricks for when my wife and I have kids. Good stuff!
Great tips! I really like the driving tips. My daughter is just learning to drive. It amazes me all the things she just doesn’t know because she was always on her phone or ipod. She doesn’t have a lot of knowledge that we should have made sure she knew. so teaching them young is important. Also they will be less inclined to bother you when you are driving.
Good advice. My girls are little, but we’re also working on memorizing our street address and phone number.
Great post there really are so many dangers out there for children today. We have a home security system and it does give you more peace of mind.
Great tips and a good reminder.
Well Said! I was raised properly around guns and my children will be too, They were for hunting and IF the need arose protection. I just saw a news clip last night where a couple of young neighborhood boys saved a woman’s infant child by instructing her to do CPR the proper way. (they did not perform it, but told the mother what to do and it saved her child) Just telling our children about life saving techniques even when we feel, think or believe they are either too young or not listening could save a life! I also agree with a few of the previous posters… Children need to know and understand 911’s purpose and how to call on a land line and cell. Sometimes we may look at ourselves or feel that we are the “poster Child” parents for safety, but truth is we are not and can always make safety improvements in our children and ourselves lives. I also STRONGLY believe we need to teach our children to STAY CALM in an emergency! I am a former EMT and I can not tell you how many people’s children (young or older), spouses, family and friends go in to a full panic during and emergency, which in turn inhibits their ability to help or think straight .
These are all valid areas which require teaching a child the proper method to handle a situation. Giving children explanations and showing through your own actions can really contribute to a child’s understanding of why these precautions or instructions need to be taken. In a world when anything can happen unexpectedly, it is crucial to teach children everything possible that will ensure their and others safety! Thanks for all these steps!