Parenting is hard – while we need to ensure that the childhood of our kids is smooth and happy, and that they have happy memories of growing up when they get older, we also need to ensure that they learn the basic skills of life and learn to navigate through life, through all kinds of situations with proficiency. While we always hope that there never should be situations where our kids have to get through difficulties in dealing with strangers and other unsafe people. But we also need to teach them the basic skills of how to deal with them, just in case a situation like that turns up. Dr Jazmine McCoy, Psychologist, who is known for sharing insights related to child growth and parenting hacks on her Instagram profile on a regular basis, addressed this important issue and wrote, “Of course, we hope our children will never be in a place where they have to scream and defend themselves against an unsafe person. But this is a life skill we can’t afford not to teach our kids. Unfortunately, in most cases, children are victimised by people they know and trust so it’s crucial to discuss what to do if they ever feel unsafe, even with a trusted adult.”
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Dr Jazmine McCoy further noted down a few basic rules that we must teach our kids on how to dodge stranger danger. They are, as follows:
Define a stranger: We must clearly define to them what a stranger is, and how they can spot danger coming from them.
Define trusted adults: Be it comparing the behavior of the strangers or the ones they can run to in case of trouble, trusted adults should also be clearly defined to them.
What they need to do: No matter what a stranger looks like, they should be taught to always seek the permission or consult their trusted adults before taking any step with the strangers.
Guidelines: From never accepting food from strangers to checking with adults before letting them inside the house, the basic guidelines about strangers should be outlined to the kids.
Body boundaries: Good touch, bad touch and the importance of consent should be taught to kids at an early age.
When in danger: What they need to do in case of immediate danger – be it calling up their parents or coming to the trusted adults, this should be taught to the kids as well.
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