Q.   How do I teach my child about personal safety?

After all the work we put into helping children build trust in the world and learn how to be social we have to eventually turn around and tell them that they have to be choosy about who they trust and who they interact with.

Maybe the most difficult part for parents is the feeling of not having control over what their child may do when they are not around to guide them.

Teaching children what to do in unsafe situations without instilling fear is something parents can feel they DO have some control over. One way to begin is to monitor and control how much repeat exposure your children are receiving through television about tragic events. With the media continuously drawing our attention to the many realities that put our children in danger, there is the unrealistic sense that abductions and assaults happen to a bigger portion of the population than is really true. We know how the media affects our view of reality, think about how it affects children.

The frequency that this type of horrible information is part of our daily lives develops a swelling of fear that makes parents ask, "am I doing enough to teach my child how to stay safe"? and "am I doing it in a psychologically healthy way as to not instill unnecessary fear"?

A feeling of comfort can come from being proactive in teaching your children about personal safety. It's important to model a calm but realistic attitude, always consider how age appropriate your explanations are and, actively practice skills with your child.

More information about teaching children about personal safety on the following pages:
- Appropriate Expectations for 2-3 year olds
- Appropriate Expectations Beginning at About Age 4
- Appropriate Expectations Beginning at About Age 5
- 10-15 year old children

Sylvia Ford, Early Childhood Consultant