Mandi Mace on Protecting Children Against Predators
Whether you have children of your own, younger siblings or babysit a lot
, it's important to take child safety seriously. There are so many sick predators out there that prey on the weak and unfortunately that often means women and children. I nanny a lot and I've taken quite a few courses on child safety. Here are some of the most important things I've learned about how to keep children safe:No matter what, never leave a child or children alone! Even if you only need to run and grab something quickly, never leave children unattended in your car, house, a playground, etc.
Make sure you explain what a stranger is to your children. Explain that just because you see someone often (such as a clerk at your favorite store, the mailman or a neighbor) doesn't mean you actually know them. These people should still be considered strangers and still should not be trusted by your children.
Teach your children what their full names are, their parents names, their address and their phone number (or your cell phone number). Make sure that you don't teach your children their address and phone number until they are old enough o understand the difference between who they should and should not give this information to. You wouldn't want a young child telling everyone who asks her/him what their address is. Explain that this information should only be given out to people who can be trusted such as police officers.
Teach your child how to dial your cell phone or your husband's cell phone.
It's really important that you take the time to go over different dangerous scenarios with your children so that if/when they find themselves in that situation they know immediately what to do. You can even make a game of it, saying things like, "What if [fill in situation] happens?" and if he/she gets it correct let them earn a sticker. If he/she gets it incorrect, make sure you go over the correct response and why.
Make sure that your children's school and any organizations they are a part of have strict guidelines as to who may pick up your child or visit your child while under their care. You should also set up some sort of notification system in case your child is late to arrive.
Teach your child about their body and what is and is not appropriate when it comes to other people touching or talking about it. Explain that while a doctor may have to examine them, no one else should ever touch them in an inappropriate way! Teach them to say, "No! Don't touch me!" Teach them to tell someone if someone does touch them.
Try as we may to protect our children, it is also important that we watch our kids to make sure we don't notice odd changes in behavior. If you notice that you children seem to act strange or say strange things (especially around or concerning one particular adult or child) it may be a sign that sexual abuse has occurred or is occurring. As hard as it may be, it is ALWAYS better to question than ignore the signs.
It's probably a good idea to give your child some sort of personal alert device, such as a whistle or alarm. Though they're too young to carry a self-defense weapon, something like a personal alert device may be a great line of defense against a predator! Even at my age I still carry a whistle on me around campus in addition to my Mace. Start young and teach them how to protect themselves! Only good can come from it.
Mandi Mace on Protecting Children Against Predators
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