Ideas for Teaching Stranger Danger?

In Ohio there's a company called Assert Kids and it was started by a former policeman and his wife. He goes around the state talking about kids and women's safety and teaches classes for self defense. He is wonderful! He has mentioned how many times kids get tricked into getting to "know" the stranger so he/she is no longer a "stranger." So he goes through several scenarios with the kids and teaches them what to do in those situations. His website is www.assertkids.com

I agree w/ the PP. Excellent resources from that organization. They also have a website (http://www.thesafeside.com/) where you can download info. Personally, at home w/ my kids, we also role play or create "what would you do if..." scenarios. If the kids get it wrong at home, that offers us a place to start working. It's amazing to me how many times you can go over something and think your kid gets it and then you present it to them and they "fail" the test. A real eye opener.

Good luck to you!

S.

I've always taught my kids it's always OK to TALK to a stranger and never OK to GO with a stranger. I remember once I was trying to get my son to be polite and answer an elderly person in the grocery store who was speaking to him, and later when I tried to explain he was being rude by not answering, he said, "But I'm not supposed to talk to strangers" and I remember being ticked off because I'm sure he must have learned that term from school or TV. Small children should always be supervised by you anyway, so I think it's important to teach them that it's rude not to speak when someone is trying to have a conversation with you. When they are old enough to be out of your site, that's when you need to speak about more age appropriate things like who to speak with and what info you should not give you, and stuff like that. While my kids were little like yours, my focus was to not GO with anyone you don't know---don't go for a walk with them, don't get in their car, don't let them touch you. I know it must be scary to have someone in your area trying to entice kids, but at age 3 all your daughter needs to remember is to stay where she can see you (and you of course need to always have her where you can see her)

I have taught my children that adults should NEVER approach them or try to talk to them without me there. We have applied this to playing in our yard, our driveway, riding bikes, at the store, etc. I have explained that ADULTS should talk with ADULTS only and that it is NEVER appropriate for ADULTS to ask a child for help - directions, finding there dog, to "come here", to give them candy, etc.

Also, I have taught my children that when we are anywhere, they need to stay near me or at least away from the door. That if I am paying for groceries they can't wander over to the candy dispensers close to the door because someone might say, "Look at the beautiful little girl. I want to take her home." I have explained that some people don't have nice, beautiful children and might want a daughter - HER.

This has been enough to help my kids understand that there are people who might want to "take them". And that would make me very sad. And that if these people "took them", then they wouldn't be allowed to come home, to me, their beds, their toys and mostly, their family and friends.

We have done "role playing" to try to make the point. And we do it again and again before we go to the zoo, festivals, etc.

Please, don't focus too much on not scaring her. Focus on keeping her safe. Also, don't make this a one time conversation. Kids learn through repetition. Talk about it casually, often and role play. That way it will become second nature instead of a one time scary conversation.

Several years ago there was a video put out by John Walsh (of America's Most Wanted) and Julie Aigner Clark (Baby Einstein) designed for kids, specifically about stranger danger. I was able to check out from my local library and my children who were about 3 and 4 at the time seemed to enjoy watching it.

I just have to put in another vote for Safe Side Super Chick. Love it, and so did my daughter.
One thing is to keep talking about it. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Anytime we went somewhere out in public like ball fields, mall, etc. I always went over the rules. I'm sure my kids were eventually like "yeah, yeah, yeah", but so what - I'm trying to keep them safe. The more they hear it, hopefully, it will be something that pops into their heads, God forbid, if a situation like that arises. I would go over scenerios saying. "What if a man says I told him to come over and get you to bring you back to me?" What if a person is crying, looking for their own child/dog, etc."
Another thing I aways tell my kids is that NO adult needs help from a child. If they lost something or need directions, they can find another adult - not a child.
It's scary and can be overwhelming, thinking of how to keep your kids safe. As long as you present the information and watch closely, she will be safe. Good luck!

Definitely Safe Side Super Chick video, a great video. Other wise keep it simple, use simple language she can understand. I always taught my kids that you don't talk to strangers unless mom or dad is with you and you say it's okay. The other thing I have always taught my kids is that not all people are nice and that is why it important to stay close to mom because mom will keep you safe. Don't volunteer more information than they are ready to hear. Keep it simple. Another good thing to point out is that "secrets" are never good, you can have happy surprises, but it is not good to "keep a secret". That way you keep communication open. I began this talk with my kids at 3 as well and you can give more information as they get older, these can be the basic building blocks for later conversations. Also be prepared to be embarrassed. They will repeat what you have told them at a moment when you are not expecting to hear it, but that only means they were listening.

there is a book i don't know who the author is, but it's called "don't talk to strangers" i'm sure you could find it on amazon or something like that. then another thing is to have a neighbor or co-worker that you know that your daughter has never met. you can have them try to go with them to find their dog or get in there car so that you can test her and show her how nice strangers can look

Safe side super chick!

Teach Love of self!!!

We don't talk to strangers unless Mom approves first. If there's a car near by, someone sitting in a car on the street or someone calling from a car on the street you are to immediately go into the house. These have been the rules since my son was very young. It's true it's hard to talk about, but if you don't talk about it they won't know how you felt.
When I was growing up things like this, sexual preditors, sex and drugs were a common topic in our house, I would like my house to be the same. (Even though I'm not nearly as open about it as my dad was lol) It wasn't ever the "dreaded conversation". If there's a stranger on the street get an adult you know. Never do drugs. Sex is ok if your married. My 7 year old already knows that 21 is the age he's allowed to have a can a beer and he can have a girl friend at 16 but no real girlfriends til then. Thus far it's been kind of a joking conversation. Nothing in depth of seriousness but he knows. He ask questiosn, I give answers. grant it he is now 7.

My daughter started in "little dragons" it is a pre-tae kwon doe program when she was 3 1/2 and they talk about "life lessons" each week- the main thing they talked about with strangers is if it is someone you don't know or someone your parents don't know then don't listen to them or go with them. If they get separated from you in a store or at a park or something then they are suppose to find somebody with a name tag (a store worker) or a mommy with a baby or another small child- never a man with a baby. This worked pretty well for us and when my daughter was 4 she was separated from me at Target and found a lady with a name tag and I was paged. She was very upset but told me she remembered to find someone with a name tag or a mommy with a baby but she couldn't find one.

We found a great video at the library called "Stranger Safety: Safe Side Superchick" created with John Walsh from the America's Most Wanted show. It uses humor and role playing to show different situations and teaches a very good framework for defining different types of 'strangers' - don't-know's, kinda-know's and how to deal with them. My daughter was 2 or 3 when she first saw this, and both she and her older brother paid attention and learned from it. It might be considered a bit scary in a couple of spots, but I think that just made them remember it better. Good luck!

we just got my 4yr old a berinstine bears book about strangers and its great! (long but great)..

Alot of good answers for teaching, but I think your daughter is too young to really understand about strangers. At 3, you should have a hand or leash on her so she is never out of your reach. (Yeah, I've heard it before about the leash. My answer to that is, "you leash your dog to keep him safe---why wouldn't you do as much for your precious child?") Then she can talk to anyone because you're there. I'm one of those people who talks to kids in stores, and that's one of the first places we teach kids to behave and to socialize. At 3, we're trying to teach them where to go for help when they get separated from us. Stranger danger can be taught when kids are more likely to be on their own.

I am sure that there are plenty of books out there. Just check out your local library. Just yesterday I picked up the Berenstain Bears book on dealing with strangers for my 3 year old son. I figured it would be a good starting point to start teaching him about strangers and potential dangers. Besides, he really likes the Berenstain Bears and I know he will read the book over and over.