SMMART TIME-OUT FOR TIDBITS: LOST
I was waiting for a prenatal check-up and happened upon an article in American Baby Magazine by Heather Swain entitled:
“Separation Anxiety: What should your child do if she gets lost?…5 Simple Things…”
1- Teach your child to stay put!
“Preschoolers think of a stranger as someone who’s ‘scary’ or ‘bad’, so a friendly or nice person may not be seen as a threat by a young child…teach kids never to go anywhere with anyone without asking their parents’ permission first.”
2- Teach your child to call your name-your real name.
“…preschoolers should learn the first and last names of their parents or any other of their caregivers. You have to repeat this information to children over and over again to help them remember it. Then if they ever become lost, they can tell someone who their parents are…Predators are looking for the kid who is not drawing attention. The kid yelling for her mom is too much trouble.”
3- Teach your child to ask another mom for help.
After your child calls your name, but you don’t return, “the next step is to ask for help…Children this age should ask another mother with children for help. (Older children can learn to ask police officers or store clerks, but preschoolers can’t yet distinguish uniforms from other types of dark clothing.) …Women will generally commit more time to helping your child because men are afraid that if they help they’ll be targeted as a predator.”
4- Talk about safety in your daily life.
“We have to keep our fears in perspective and talk to our kids calmly about how to keep safe…We don’t say to a kid, ‘See that truck? It’s trying to run you down!’ Instead, we give kids positive, empowering rules for safe behavior.
5-Role-play with your child.
“Talking about safety is key, but … a better approach is to practice through role-playing…Focus on positive things a kid can do to find a parent rather than how they can stop a bad adult from taking them away.”
“Separation Anxiety: What should your child do if she gets lost?…5 Simple Things…”
1- Teach your child to stay put!
“Preschoolers think of a stranger as someone who’s ‘scary’ or ‘bad’, so a friendly or nice person may not be seen as a threat by a young child…teach kids never to go anywhere with anyone without asking their parents’ permission first.”
2- Teach your child to call your name-your real name.
“…preschoolers should learn the first and last names of their parents or any other of their caregivers. You have to repeat this information to children over and over again to help them remember it. Then if they ever become lost, they can tell someone who their parents are…Predators are looking for the kid who is not drawing attention. The kid yelling for her mom is too much trouble.”
3- Teach your child to ask another mom for help.
After your child calls your name, but you don’t return, “the next step is to ask for help…Children this age should ask another mother with children for help. (Older children can learn to ask police officers or store clerks, but preschoolers can’t yet distinguish uniforms from other types of dark clothing.) …Women will generally commit more time to helping your child because men are afraid that if they help they’ll be targeted as a predator.”
4- Talk about safety in your daily life.
“We have to keep our fears in perspective and talk to our kids calmly about how to keep safe…We don’t say to a kid, ‘See that truck? It’s trying to run you down!’ Instead, we give kids positive, empowering rules for safe behavior.
5-Role-play with your child.
“Talking about safety is key, but … a better approach is to practice through role-playing…Focus on positive things a kid can do to find a parent rather than how they can stop a bad adult from taking them away.”
Lisa
1 comment:
thanks for the tips!
Post a Comment