First Lessons in Safety
In addition to ensuring that their children have the skills they will need to successfully navigate the classroom, parents also must equip young children with the tools they need to safely navigate their home and the world.
It is important to start talking to young children about safety as early as possible, but be sure to end each of these conversations by making them feel protected and loved. If you have more than one child, have one-on-one conversations or play sessions with each child so that you can customize the lesson to his/her age and personality. As young children begin socializing, it is important that they learn safety rules about strangers, but also feel confident enough to interact with others and try new things.
Here are some ways parents can help keep children safe:
At Home:
- Make your home a ‘safety zone’ by childproofing cabinets and drawers that hold dangerous items like cleaning supplies and matches (or by placing these items in out-of-reach places for older kids).
- Keep handguns and other weapons locked up in a case that only adults can access.
- Always keep a close eye on young children around any amount of water or fluid, even one inch!
Outside:
- Do not advertise your child's name on his clothing, school supplies, or backpack.
- Teach your child to trust her "gut instinct.” If a situation doesn't feel right, it usually isn't.
- Encourage your child not to keep secrets from you.
- Create a password or secret code that only you and your child know. If someone asks him to leave with them, that person should know the password or he should not go under any circumstances.
- Teach your child who to ask for help in dangerous situations (like if she becomes lost or is afraid of something) such as a police officer in uniform, a firefighter, or a store clerk.
- Make sure your child knows his address, phone number, and how to call 911 for help.
You can incorporate safety rules about fire, water, poisonous items, and strangers into many kinds of play that increase your child’s vocabulary or enhance the development of social skills at the same time. Here are a few examples:
Play it out- Use dramatic play using yourselves or stuffed animals to demonstrate what to do in different scenarios. For example, ask your child what to do if there is a fire in the house or if she gets separated from you while you are at the store. If she does not act out an appropriate response, act it out yourself and have your child imitate your actions. Don’t forget to explain all hazards in an age-appropriate manner.
Safe or Dangerous? - Help your children identify harmful items and activities by going around the house and pointing to different objects and asking them call out ‘Safe!’ or ‘Dangerous!’ You can even label the items with different colored dots or with special stickers that remind children what’s okay to touch and what’s not.
© 2006 The Parent-Child Home Program, Inc.
The Parent-Child Home Program
1415 Kellum Place, Suite 101
Garden City, New York 11530
www.parent-child.org
Reprinted with the permission of the Parent-Child Home Program, Inc.
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