Kids Safety At Home: What Your Children Need To Know

Our families are cornerstones of our lives and their protection is of the utmost importance. This especially rings true in regards to our children. While we do what we can to ensure their safety at all times, there is more we can do to keep them safe. It is never too early to start a discussion with our children to teach them about safety and security. The following are some great safety tips that our children need to know regarding keeping them safe at home and out in the world:

1. There is safety in numbers– Teach your children from a young age that there is safety in numbers. Implementing a buddy system so that your child is never unaccompanied can increase their level of safety.
2. Consider a location device– While we may teach our child about safety in numbers, incidents can still occur. There is always a chance that your child may wander off when you are out and about so you may want to consider a location device. These devices have GPS that can allow you to locate your child should they go missing.
3. Discuss passwords– With technology rapidly advancing, our kids are growing up in a cyber age. This means that they will have access to various accounts through the use of a password. It is important to remind your children that they need to create strong passwords that are difficult to crack and they should protect these passwords.
4. Speaking of passwords…– Your family should create and use a secret password or code in the event of an emergency situation. If a situation should arise where your child feels uncomfortable, they should be able to use this secret code with you.
5. Teach them about strangers– When the time comes to leave your child at home alone, it is important to teach them about strangers. Make sure that they know to keep the doors and windows locked at all times when they are at home alone and to never open the door to strangers. Create a safe house in the neighborhood that they can go to if there is a serious problem.
6. Make sure they know how to work your alarm system– If your child is at home alone or even with a sitter, make sure that they are aware of how to work your home alarm system. Teach them the code to disable it or how to trigger it in the case of an emergency.
7. Trust your gut– Encourage your child to trust in their gut feelings. If they feel uncomfortable or sense danger, teach them to acknowledge these feelings and make the necessary moves to be safe.
8. Call 911– Define emergency situations to your child and tell them to call 911 if they feel their situations warrant it. Consider doing a role-play so your child feels comfortable calling 911 should they need to.

When advising your children of the preceding safety tips, it is important how exactly your approach the topic of safety. Be sure that you aren’t giving them any stress or anxiety about “stranger danger” but rather are educating them about safety. Reassure them that for the most part, people are good, but they just need to be aware of how to stay safe.