Tips on Teaching Stranger Danger to Preschooler and Toddler

Here is a website and there is a book you can order to teach stranger danger in a kid friendly way. There are also endorsements from the news media saying this is the best way to introduce kids to stranger danger.
http://www.taffeypopkids.com/
I hope this helps.

"Stranger Danger" is completely blown out of proportion and, in my opnion, should not be taught.

Because STRANGERS aren't the real danger. Your child is FAR more likely to be abducted, assaulted or abused by someone they know than a stranger.

Seriously. There are more than 40 MILLION children in the USA. Of that over 40 million kids, in one year, just "115 children were the victims of “stereotypical” kidnapping. (These crimes involve someone the child does not know or someone of slight acquaintance, who holds the child overnight, transports the child 50 miles or more, kills the child, demands ransom, or intends to keep the child permanently.)" (Department of Justice).

Your child has a better chance of being hit by lightning or winning the lottery than being kidnapped by a stranger.

And your child has a WAY better chance of being killed in YOUR CAR in an accident because they are improperly restrained, than being kidnapped by a stranger.

In reality, if your child were separated from you, lost and scared, statistically speaking, every stranger he came into contact with would help lead him back to your arms. Because the vast majority of people....are GOOD.

Please don't teach your child to fear everyone.

Yes, your son needs to know, and you can't begin too young, a 2 year old can begin to learn, the repetition will reinforce what you tell her, teaching should be ongoing. Know that someone who wishes to harm a child knows all the tricks of the trade to entice them, quiet them, and make them cooperate with them until it's too late. They become experts on what kids like so as to not call attention to themselves, which allows them to get what they want, a child, so don't count on a child making a scene if something happens, and I'm not saying that to be mean, it is, sadly, a reality.

And please don't just focus on "stranger" danger, either, I taught her from the time she was in diapers to be wary of strangers, but my daughter was molested by a close family member at the age of 5, the last person I would have ever suspected. Set boundaries and teach them that if anyone makes them feel uncomfortable they need to tell you. Believe it or not, kids are more likely to be hurt by someone they know than by a stranger.

Here are some resources to help you:

http://www.surfnetkids.com/go/safety/41/visual-aids-for-t...

http://www.thelearningcommunity.us/kids-2-to-5/family-lif...

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/preschool-lesson-plans/...

http://www.themomwrites.com/2011/09/toddler-safety-books-...

http://rhymetime4kids.blogspot.com/2010/09/tips-for-teach...

http://www.pollyklaas.org/safe/talk-to-strangers.html?gcl...

http://www.thejoyfulchild.org/tips.html

Also ask the Children's librarian at your local library for age appropriate books to help teach your children.

I am taking the opposite approach. I think kids should talk to as many people as possible. The more comfortable they are speaking to adults the more comfortable they will be approaching a 'safe' adult if they are lost, rather than looking lost and being a target for the creepy one who could approach them. Also they will over time develop a feel for what is normal/acceptable in socialization w/ adults just like they learn which kids they like to play with. Also - stranger danger is VASTLY overemphasized. Almost all danger to kids is from adults they already know.

My son knows to look for a mommy or a grandma - that is a woman with kids or a woman with gray hair/older woman if he ever can't find DH or me. He knows our phone numbers and has since he was 3 (he learned them himself listening to us make our morning voice mails - we didn't actually teach him).

I also think knowing boundaries is more important than recognizing 'strangers'. As in - no one except mommy, daddy and the doctor (w/ mommy or daddy present) can touch his genitals. After all - what is a stranger? If mommy or daddy talked to the supermarket checker - is he still a stranger or not? What about Uncle Joe - clearly not a stranger, but can he touch me?

Maybe I over simplified this when my daughter was younger, but we taught her from a very young age that she was not to go anywhere with anyone for any reason without telling me first. She was really never out of my sight and she never played outside without me right there so I wasn't so concerned with a stranger coming up and luring her away. I reminded her very often about telling me before she went anywhere with anyone - that included family members. Not that I don't trust my family, I do - but I wanted to train her that I needed to know where she was and who she was with every second.

Let's say she was 8 years old and my husband was out and I was taking a shower. My sister lives nearby and it wouldn't be unusual for her to stop by my house and even let herself in. If she wanted to take my daughter out, my daughter knew she had to let me know first. Sounds simple enough. This has served us well even now that my daughter is 12.

We tested this at a party once at a friend's house when all the kids were playing in the backyard. (We were watching them through a big window). My friend bet me that she could get my daughter to go with her to her car parked in front of the house. My friend is someone I've known my entire life and I completely trust her with my daughter and my daughter knew this friend like any family member. I watched through the window while this friend tried to get my daughter to go to her car. My daughter immediately told her she had to tell me where she was going first.

I didn't see the whole show you're talking about, but I did see how the Moms were crying when their kids went in the ice cream truck. I started crying too. Every mother knows that feeling.

So in answer to your question - start with the "don't go anywhere with anyone unless you tell me first" and go from there.

This site had some great info -http://www.mychildsafety.net/stranger-danger.html

I also checked out library books for children regarding stranger danger as well as role playing with my daughter in different

1. The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers
I love the Berestain Bears’ series. The books are beautifully illustrated and the words are easy to understand. However, I’m a little concerned that the length (32 pages) may be too long for my toddler and I to read at one go, which is what she likes to do.

Anyways, I read the 55 reviews (!!) on Amazon and am overall impressed with how the book deals with a tough topic in a simple way. It talks about how Brother Bear and Sister Bear are alike and yet different. Sister Bear, like my daughter, is “friendly to a fault” and then, goes on to talk about how Papa Bear explains to Sister how to behave with strangers.

However, like a typical preschooler, Sister over-reacts viewing every stranger as “bad” and that is when Mama Bear talks about “bad apples in every barrel”, helping her understand that while not all strangers are “bad”, one must be careful.
So, yes, this is a book that I will be checking out for sure.

2. I Can Play it Safe
This book appealed to me because it is written by a Child Safety specialist, Alison Feigh who was influenced at an early age by the abduction of her classmate. Even though this book is the same length as the Berenstain Bears book, 32 pages, it is still on my list because I took a peek inside and loved the illustrations and simple words.
Also, the reviews indicated that the book is perfect for talking about sensitive issues like safe versus harmful touch, safe/unsafe secrets while teaching a toddler to trust his or her own instincts.

3. Once Upon a Dragon: Stranger Safety for Kids (and Dragons)
This one appealed to me because my little girl is obsessed with dragons these days. And while her dragon usually eats people up I am guessing she’ll like this book where a little girl and her dragon friend enter a fairy tale world filled with the bad guys from well-known tales. So, you have the wolf from Red Riding Hood, the wicked queen from Snow White and so on.
Another plus point for this book is that it has rhyming text which would make reading the whole (yes, 32 pages again) thing at one go easier.
Since the characters are already my daughter is familiar with from the various books we’ve read, I’m guessing she’ll have an easier time identifying and understanding.

These are the 3 books on my to-read list before I start reading them with our daughter and hope that these along with some simple conversation will help her understand stranger danger without losing her natural exuberance.

We had a speaker come to our school last week and it was really helpful! Her organization is called PEACE of mind, their website is www.pomwa.org very good suggestions, including the fact that it's not usually a stranger you need to watch out for, but rather "tricky people" who try to trick you into keeping secrets or doing things you're not supposed to. Please check our their website! Her daughter was chosen by a pedophile to put on his targeted website, she's just a mom who decided to take some action and empowerment!

You can teach stranger danger to a 2 year old and you should. You got some excellent advice already so I won't add to it. Just make it a priority and a frequently discussed topic.

Spiffeh2012 lists some great books to read with your 4 year old.

At this age the first lesson is to tell them do not talk with someone you don't know unless mom or dad are with you. You don't have to go into reasons for this. Role play this concept with him.

This worked with my grandchildren as preschoolers and 1st grade. Then they asked questions that indicated they needed more information.

oooo, i so disagree with adam walsh about telling children horror stories about strangers. it IS important to teach children how to react appropriately to strangers (good and bad) but i myself never want children to be fearful and look at people, and their world, as a bad place.
rather than spend a lot of time on the whys, i think it's best to spend time teaching the whats. how do you want them to react when they meet people? if mommy and daddy aren't right there, what is the simple response you want them to use eg 'no thank you. i have to ask my mom.' and to scream loudly if anyone tries to get them to go with them. i'd teach them this through very very simple rules and lots and lots of role-playing.
bear in mind that only a tiny percent of children are abducted or molested by strangers. it's a terrible, prevalent crime and we have to be endlessly vigilant. but a) most molestations occur in family or friend situations and b) we want confident, smart children, not terrified paranoid ones.
start simply. 'let's pretend we're at the park. if someone says they want to give you some candy, and mommy is feeding the ducks and doesn't see, what do you say?'
khairete
S.

My park district has a Safey Town camp during the summer - where they discuss things such as stranger danger and other important safety topics like riding in a car etc for preschoolers - I am enrolling my son he too is engaging and talks to everyone about everything. No matter what I tell him he just does not get it; I am hoping that someone else saying it and doing it in a place where they know what they are doing will sink in better.

This will sound awful but I once saw Adam Walsh on an interview and he said he wished he would have told his son all of the awful things people could do to him even so far as descriptions. We used to role play (my kids are older now) but they would practice their "screams" we'd talk about if someone got you in the car how it throw it our of gear even how a car accident would be better than what the awful people had planned for them. Running in the opposite direction if a car stopped. The best thing I learned and has actually severed my kids well on several occasions? I saw a show Many years ago that said to teach your child to go up to the FIRST women they saw and ask for help...or that they were lost. Women are more likely to a; not be pedophiles and b: stay with the child until a parent comes. We would practice little things...like when I was there have one of my kids go up to a women and ask where the such and such store was in the mall so they wouldn't be afraid to approach a women. When my kids were little I can think of two separate kids who used this and it was a huge blessing. Just something I would have never thought of on my own that made sense. I know I've helped many kids over the years without them asking me...if they looked lost I'd ask them if they needed help. They always looked so relieved! It's an ongoing process and something to be practicing on a regular basis. Also all my kids knew their full names address and phone number with area code by the time they were 5 or 6.

WOW I am so glad you asked this question cause these suggestions are great. With that being said NO child is to young to learn. We “sing” literally our address and phone number every night, recite the full names of our family members, the kids know their birthdays, if you get lost what do you do, and when I am washing them I talk “good touch, Bad touch”. It sounds paranoid but in my line of work I’ve heard it all.

I talked to my pediatrician about this and he told us 4 is a little young for them to really understand completely. Our son is the same way...says hi to everyone that walks by but I am afraid I will freak him out. A few things I read up on...never put their name on any items on the outside where someone could act like they know them and call them by their name. (I had never thought of this one!) Also, continue to work on teaching him his address. I also tell him if we are out playing in the neighborhood that he is not to go anywhere without telling me where he is going or to go so far ahead of me where I can't see him. We have friends around the corner and I call her to make sure he made it there. Good friends of ours got their son a really good set of walkie talkies so they could continually check in with him. I think he was a little older but I loved the idea.

Stranger Safety is a good kid video. Yellow cover with a young lady in pony tails on it.