Here are some visual aid options for talking to, and teaching your kids about stranger danger. The reason visual aid options are so important is that a child needs to have an image in their mind of what is happening. This visual image and rehearsed actions can save your child’s life.
Activities, and coloring pages on the Internet
There are many great places on the Internet to get activity levels of all sorts. Here are a few sites you can check out.
DVDs, books etc.
There are also books, DVDs and much more that you can buy or download for your child to learn through visual aid about stranger danger. Here are examples of some through My Precious Kid safety products.
My Precious Kid
Pictures for comparisons
It is also a good idea to use pictures of family and of strangers. These pictures can help to teach your child the difference between strangers and family and friends. For example: “Here is a picture of Grandma; she is not a stranger. Here is a picture of the postman; he is a stranger. Do you understand Jimmy?”
Act it out!
Get up and act it out. This will help your child know what to do when it comes to a stranger talking to them. Act out each phase of a stranger being a threat to your child.
This includes these steps.
1. A stranger comes to talk to them; what do they do? Don’t talk, and run away.
2. A stranger tries to hand them candy. Don’t talk, and run away.
3. A stranger tries to take their hand. Run fast; if the stranger gets their hand, they scream, kick and bite.
4. A stranger grabs them. They scream, kick bite, and scream more!
Set boundaries
This means to sit down with a doll and show your child where it is ok to be touched and where it is not. There are people that are in our children’s lives that we would never think would touch them inappropriately. However, it happens all the time. This is why it is so important to set boundaries.
Also, let your children know that it is important for them to tell you if anything like this were to happen. If for any reason they were told not to tell, tell them that they need to tell you no matter what, even if they are threatened or scared.
Talk and listen
Just as much as you spend the time with your children showing them how to be safe, listen to what they have to say about it. This way you will be able to hear for any issues, unclear thoughts or problems with fears.
Rehearse and repetition
The biggest tool you will have in this war of protecting your child is to rehearse what they should do in the instance that a stranger were to bother them. In addition to rehearsing, this process needs to be repeated so that the child has an automatic reaction.
This information should help you to know some visual aid options for helping your children learn about stranger danger. It should also give you the tools to help your child be empowered to be safe. That is the goal. Not scared, but prepared.