Top 10 useful tips for protecting your grandchildren
If you were to ask a small child about what a ‘bad person’ looks like, most likely they would say something about them being an untidy looking man, wearing black, offering sweets, and possibly having shifty eyes.
Many would therefore find themselves in trouble if they were approached in the street by a well-dressed young woman asking for help to find her puppy – as they simply don’t know that unsafe people don’t always fit their preconceived ideas.
Keeping kids safe doesn’t have to mean wrapping them up in cotton wool and driving them everywhere until they are 21. We can equip them with the skills to keep themselves safe, but we need to start early.
Teach your grandkids these golden rules of safety:
- Teach them what to do, rather than what not to do. For instance say “There is nothing so bad that you can’t tell me” rather than “Don’t keep secrets!”
- Show them how to answer the phone and the door, and what to do if they feel unsafe.
- Teach kids that trustworthy adults don’t usually ask kids for help. So if they are approached (by the lady with the lost puppy) or someone who says they need them to go somewhere to help them, they will learn that they should say no and get out of there.
- Play a game where you decide who in the community is trustworthy and who could be suspicious. For instance you could teach them that someone working in a shop would be a good person to approach if they got separated from you, rather than a young man on the street.
- Lead by example and always lock windows and doors when going out, and keep your car locked. Talk about why we do this with little ones, so that it becomes second nature to them.
- Teach kids their name, your full name, address and phone number. Show them how to dial emergency services from your phone.
- Speak about the people in their life who they can trust, such as your immediate family and friends.
- Let them know that nobody should try and touch their private parts, and that if they do to shout “stop it!” loudly and move away from them.
- Once children are old enough (you can make this call based on the child) allow them to walk the few blocks to the shop, catch a bus, or cross the road at the crossing on their own. This will teach them to be moreindependent.
- Set up agreements in advance, such as what to do if they are going to be late (call you, text you, etc.).
Related links:
Having a sibling makes boys selfless
Sibling rivalries in my childhood shaped who I am today
In pictures: Kids behaving badly