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How To Talk To Kids About Stranger Danger – Important Parenting Tips!

Anything can happen, so make sure you know how to talk to kids about stranger danger, always be safe! Keep your kids safe around strangers and make sure you’re prepared. 

How To Talk To Kids About Stranger Danger - Important Parenting Tips!

I don’t know what hit me, but I found myself awake at 3:30am this morning just thinking about stranger danger. First it was about baseball, my son’s team is in the Pony World Series so we’re at the fields every day and it’s pretty exciting! With tons of other spectators, families, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents around, there are plenty of strangers to be aware of. The siblings of the baseball players have been very good about finding stuff to do together while spending grueling amounts of time at the baseball fields. The brothers and sisters range from 3 – 12 years old, my daughter is the youngest one.

I started to think about how the parents are all into the baseball game and the kids play right next to us. They are close, but sometimes they wander to different areas. The older kids do well when it comes to helping out with the younger kids, but what if… Just what if they get into something and don’t pay close attention? I am constantly turning to look at the group to make sure that they are ok, but this doesn’t stop predators, strangers from gallivanting on over. What if I miss something? It’s time we had the stranger danger talk.

Man waiting on the street

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How To Talk To Kids About Stranger Danger – Important Parenting Tips!

I decided to have the “stranger danger” talk with my 7 and 3 year old this morning in the car on the way to school. There were a few things I asked, and boy, were their answers off base! Here’s what I asked my kids, and clarified to make sure that they know what’s best.

What are strangers?

Strangers are every single person that you, and your family, doesn’t know. Stranger danger is all around us, at schools, parks, malls, restaurants, airports, and sports fields, pretty much everywhere you go. My 7 year old was spot on with this answer.

What do strangers look like?

Strangers come in all shapes, colors and sizes. You will never know who is a good or bad stranger based upon the way they look. My kids actually describe a stranger as a “bad guy”, but this is untrue. If you look around at all of the people you don’t know, you will see that they have all kinds if hair and skin color types and dress differently.

When is it ok to talk to strangers?

I tell my kids that it’s ok to talk to strangers when I am around to guide the conversation. Children should never talk to strangers without their parents or guardians around. If they ever find themselves alone, or approached by a stranger, they should never engage and find the nearest responsible adult who’s care they’re in and tell.

How can I tell if a stranger is bad?

You can’t. Lots of strangers are nice, but the bad ones pretend to be nice. The only way you can tell if a stranger is bad is by their intentions. If they approach a child and try to lead them away from the crowd, invite them into their home or car, offer them goodies, or ask questions that adults should answer, something is not right. Kids must be taught to never believe a stranger, no matter how enticing the offer.

How do I deal with bad strangers?

You will not always know if a stranger is good or bad, so you’ve got to be cautions with all of them. Stay with your family, and in groups with friends, never find yourself alone. Keep it moving, and do not listen to any stranger who tries to get your attention. Don’t even get close. If something doesn’t feel right, feel free to scream and run.

Kids playing tag at the park, summer fun

I remembered the strangers song from Barney when I was in elementary: “Never talk to strangers, that’s very good advice, you don’t know if they’re bad or good, even though they may seem nice. Don’t get into their car, don’t take anything from them, just turn around, and walk away, go back and tell a grown up friend”. Don’t ask how I remember, but i’m glad that I do! I sang this to them, and I will continue to do so. Talk about stranger danger with your kids!

How do you talk to your kids about stranger danger?

 

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