5 Important Safety Tips Kids Won’t Learn Unless Parents Talk Openly About it

These safety tips for kids should prompt open communication. It should raise awareness of what to do in different situations to keep your children safe and happy.

Some parents avoid talking to their children about safety tips because they feel the topics may be too scary, too awkward, or they just flat out don’t think of it.

In reality, it is crucial that parents discuss these five topics with their children.

Learn how to proactively talk to and prepare your children for these unfortunate situations by teaching them these 5 safety tips.

Related: Teach Kids How to Set Their Own Boundaries

What Kids Should do if They Get Lost

My daughter could be trusted to sit and play nicely wherever she was. Not my son.

He was a “runner”. A lose canon. A wild card. At any given moment he would run off in an unpredictable direction, at max speed. This was often towards the street, a steep hill, or a wild animal.

While this was a workout around our home, it was a hazard out in public.

After a certain scare where he escaped the fences at a park, my husband and I realized how important it was to teach him what to do when he gets lost.

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Parents must proactively do these things in case there child gets lost during an outing:

1. Teach your children your phone number (we sang the numbers to a song so they wouldn’t forget)
2. Make sure they know their full name (and yours)
3. Explain to your child why they have to stay in one place. Tell your child you will be tracing your steps so they should not try to look for you. They should stay in one place (as long as it is safe and visible).
4. Tell them to find a helper. If they can see a person of authority (police, teacher, etc), that is best. Otherwise, locating another mom is a good option. But they should still never leave their spot.

It is important to all remain calm and remember this simple plan.

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What Kids Should do If There is a Fire

During a family meeting we were talking about safety tips for kids. I asked my kids if they knew what to do if there was a fire in our home.

My at-the-time six year old replied, “I will lock myself in my room until it goes away.”

{Cue mouth drop}

Children she be taught these 3 simple fire safety tips recommended by the American Red Cross:

1. If you are on fire: stop, drop, and roll
2. If there is a smoke in the house, get low to the ground and get out (do not grab any toys or belongings!)
3. Get out of the house and go to the family designated meeting place 

Designating a family meeting place is extremely important, to avoid someone re-entering the house to look for others. This Fire Safety Lapbook is a great place to start!

Related: Family Meeting Agenda Idea and Tips

What Kids Should do If a Stranger Approaches

Having the “don’t talk to stranger” talk, is actually more complicated than it sounds.

Sometimes children will or should talk to ‘strangers’. And what is a ‘stranger’ anyhow?

I specifically remember my daughter always having many questions about the topic. “What do strangers look like? Are they scary? Are all people I don’t know bad?”

Instead of having a stranger rule, have an open conversation with your child about safety.

According to KidsHealth.org, it is best to teach your children that while most people are good, there are some tricky people in the world, and there is no easy way to know the difference. When kids are with parents, it is okay to say hello to people you don’t know.

However, when kids are not with parents, they have to be more cautious. Tell them:

• If a stranger ever approaches and offers a ride or treats or asks for help with a task they should step away, yell “No!” and leave the area immediately.
• Your child should tell you or another trusted adult (like a teacher, parent or someone in uniform) what happened.

Teach your child to trust their gut instinct. Learn how to talk to kids about their ‘gut feeling’ and what it means here.

Internet Safety and Social Media Rules

The internet, and social media specifically, can be a very dangerous place for a child or teen.

The best way to get your children on the right track and hold them accountable with the internet is to start with a well thought out parenting plan and device or cell phone contract.

This plan is designed to both keep your child safe and responsible.

Review these 7 mandatory internet rules with your child and ensure they sign the parent – child contract.

Looking for 5 Social Rules to to Teach Kids? Click here and Avoid Raising a Bully.

Body Safety for Kids

In order to recognize and stop sexual abuse, children need to be taught clear, age-appropriate safety rules to protect themselves.

Many parents feel apprehensive about having these discussions; therefore, it is important to learn the best way to have these conversations. While I am no expert here, I turned to Kid Power International for a guide.

They offer suggestions on how to talk to kids about body safety, what is not right, and what to do if they ever experience anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Final Thoughts on Safety Tips for Kids

Although sometimes scary, these are important discussions to have with your child so they will be prepared in any circumstance.

Trust your child to understand why you have to have these conversations and continue to reinforce these topics so that your child will be happy at home and strong in the world.

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