| I'm not sure about the mom with kids/ family with kids advice. There are some bad people who are parents |
| Drowning is one of the biggest statistical risks to young children. They need to know to never, ever get in the water without adults watching and that if another child does to immediately scream/run for help and NOT get in and try to rescue. |
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I think there’s a lot more kidnapping than we hear about. I don’t think a five old should have to be responsible for their own safety. That’s our job as parents. That means no sleep-overs until I *really* know you, and anyone at your house.
Sure, start teaching things, but too much makes children anxious. Why do that? |
Where should a kid look for help then? You can't tell them to find a police officer or a security guard because they aren't always around. A family with kids is likely the best option in any public place. We tell our kids to ask the parent if they can use the parent's phone to call us. That's it. They shouldn't go anywhere with the parent and if the parent doesn't want to call, or doesn't let our kid speak to us on the phone (i.e., the adult pretends to talk to us), or if the parent tries to get the kid to leave, find a different family to help. |
| I always told my kids that grown ups don’t need help from kids and I tell my young adult daughter that men don’t need help from. |
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How to get a neighbor if adult who is with them at home becomes hurt or unconscious.
How to use parent's phone to call grandma or aunt or parent's best friend, etc. if parent is hurt or unconscious or they can't find them. |
No one is saying that a 5 year old is responsible for their own safety. But it's irresponsible for a parent to NOT teach their kids about safety. And while I don't want my kids to have an unhealthy level of anxiety, there are some situations where anxiety is normal and healthy and helps keep them safe (crossing the street, for example). The fact is that we can't be with our kids all the time. They go to school, camp, on field trips, etc. It's my job as a parent to give my kids age-appropriate tools to handle themselves in the world. |
Any of those places a family is there's usually police security or a clerk. |
Not at a park. Not at most outdoor places. It's not always easy to find help at places like the museum or the zoo--and it can be difficult for a young child to identify someone who works at the place. I should clarify: the default is to find a police officer or security guard in uniform. Always. But if there isn't one in the immediate vicinity (which is usually the case), then your kid is going to need a back-up option. |
When I was little my mom taught me the key to finding someone who works in a store is a grownup lady who doesn't have a purse.
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| Keep it simple and brief. Good lord, ,no 5 yr. could remember all of these things,! |
Might not work today. Tell them to look for 'dressed up' lady without a purse. |
| Oh hell no to the security guard advice. There is so little vetting of those people. A mom with kids is a safer bet. A woman with a stroller generally isn’t interested in more kids. |
This is a bad joke, right? No one is that anxious about highly specific and unlikely kidnapping situations? You might be better off teaching weather safety, being struck by lightning is more likely than kidnapping by someone the child does not know. |
Have you not heard of the mom's who kill and abuse kids? |