Talking To Your Kids About Strangers
by Missy Farrow

Remember when we were kids and our parents told us not to talk to strangers? We were told not to take candy from strangers and not to get into a car with a stranger? Then if we didn't say hello to a polite stranger while we were with our parents we were actually scolded!

Now we are the parents. What are we telling our kids about strangers?

First we must explain what a stranger is. That is no easy task. Someone who is a stranger to our children may be someone that we as parents know pretty well. Our kids know teachers, coaches and other parents that may be strangers to us. So what do we do?

We have to teach our children to be aware of ALL people. We must teach our children about situations that they may be in at some point. We need teach our children HOW to react to these situations. We also must teach our kids that there are GOOD strangers as well as BAD strangers.

Role playing with your kids about different situations is a must these days. They learn better while thinking it is a game-- but a game that will save their life.

-Teach your kids that saying hello and being polite is OK.
-To keep their distance from any car that may stop to talk to them.
-That adults should not stop to ask you to help them to find a puppy or ask for directions. -If a car approaches and stops, walk or run to the nearest house or person they find!
-If a child feels uncertain or threatened it is very OK to run and scream for help!

-Teach your kids not to leave school with anyone unless you have told them in advance.
-Teach your kids to stay with a buddy or group at all times when not with you.
-Teach them not to keep secrets from you even if another adult tells them to or threatens to hurt the child or their family! Tell them they are lying!

Strangers can look just like anyone else. There is no particular "look" for a stranger. We often think a stranger looks crazed or weird. But reality is they can look just like you and me. Ted Bundy was a clean cute guy! So it goes to show that you really can't judge a person by their looks.

There are so many other things to talk to your child about to keep safe and today is a good day to do it! Don't wait till it's too late.

You should have ID's and fingerprints done each year for each child. Keep a list of phone numbers for Police, relatives, and friends of your child close by the phone.

Finally, tell your kids that if they are being threatened in any way to run to another person (a good stranger), grab their legs for dear life and scream "Help"! This "good" stranger may just save your child's life!

-Missy Farrow is a stay at home of two children in North Carolina.
The owner of Keep Kids Safe.net, she is passionate about helping parents to talk to thei kids about stranger awareness. You can contact her at missy@keepkidssafe.net

Take our Stranger Danger Quiz to see if your child knows who the strangers are.

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Parents always worry about their children. They do everything to protect them, try to raise them right, keep them warm and well fed and educate them.

Stranger Awareness
Does your child know what a 'stranger' is? Ask him. You might be surprised by his answer.

Who is a Stranger? - We take it for granted that everyone knows a stranger when they see one. Studies have revealed, however, that children often don't know what a stranger is. Our children watch us interact with people we know, as well as people we don't know.

We're Talking About Strangers - During the 2002/2003 school year, Headquarters talked with over 4,000 students about strangers. While we can provide children with basic rules about dealing with strangers, some of the issues can be confusing. Talking to your children regularly about strangers can help reinforce the message.