Stranger Danger

We all tell our children not to talk to strangers. But do your children really understand what strangers are?

I thought my children knew but I was wrong. We had some neighbors gone on vacation and her sister was house sitting. My children had never meet this woman and her husband although I had known them for years.

The sister called and asked if I had seen their dog (that they brought with them) and said it had gotten out. I put on my shoes to go help and saw my children out their talking with her husband. He had asked if they had seen the dog. My children were all set to help him find it.

I didn't think much about it right away, I knew they were not in any danger as I knew this man, but the more I got to thinking about it anyone could have came up to my kids and they would have been ready to help. That scared me a lot.

So start young teaching your children who strangers are and what to do in different situations.

You cannot be too careful these days. Not only do you have to talk to your kids all the time about it but you have to watch them closely.

Don't forget to teach your children that sometimes people they know may do or say something that makes them uncomfortable and they need to tell you when that happens. Stress to them if someone ever says don't tell your parents that is exactly when they should tell them!!

But you have to do all this without making them scared of their shadow. It is a scary world out there.