Stranger Danger: Keep Your Kids Safe

As summer approaches, it's time to think about how you'll teach your kids to stay safe when they're out and about playing in the neighborhood, at parks or even away at camp. But there's a fine line between teaching your kids smart tactics for dealing with strangers and scaring them so much they don't want to leave the house without you. The lessons are important, so teach them with care and tact. Modeling behavior that involves personal, physical boundaries from a young age is a good start. Demonstrating the right ways to discuss private parts and rights over one's body is helpful for kids in dealing with their friends, and ultimately, anyone who might try to touch them inappropriately. Impress upon children that when they're unsupervised, it's never OK to get into a stranger's car. A good rule of thumb for kids is to keep strangers at arm's length so that they can escape if need be. Teach them that it's OK to tell a stranger "no" - even if it seems rude. The rule of "don't ever talk to strangers" might be misleading for kids, so try not to make it an "ultimate" rule.