Teaching Kids to be Safe

As a young mother, nearly 30 years ago; I tried to be proactive in child-proofing my house for my son. From a very early age, he was inquisitive and resourceful. The kitchen held a fascination all its own. He made it his personal mission to break-in to the cupboard's safety locks. He was certain there was a goldmine of fun hidden away behind the locked doors. He would peer into the crack and see glimpses of "toys" yet to be experienced. It didn't take long for him to figure out the mechanism preventing him from getting his little hands on the building blocks of his imagination. To his delight, canned goods were much more entertaining than leggos.

Child-proofing alone does not teach a child safety. From a very early age, children need to understand the power and meaning behind the word "no." Life is filled with situations that are not or cannot be child-proofed. It is imperative that children listen to a parent or caregiver and obey when there is potential danger.

I found the following strategies to be helpful as I navigated the early child development years, and it paid off as my children grew into adolescence and faced bigger dangers in the world.

1. Say what you mean, mean what you say. At a very early age, my children learned that "no" meant "no." There was no negotiating. Consequences should be swift and meaningful for disobeying.
2. Explain purpose for rules. It is important for children to understand why rules are rules. For example - Do not touch the stove top. Why? When Mommy cooks it gets hot and you could be burned. Never give the reason, "Because I said so." Children need to learn logic and processing skills so they can develop reasoning skills of their own.
3. Do not give two or three chances to obey. Teach your children to obey on first command. When a crisis arises, they need to obey immediately. If you have "trained" them they get more than one chance to obey, they could be put at risk.
4. Roll play. As they get older, pose situations and options for dealing with safety issues. It is always best to help them determine how they would act in a potentially dangerous situation like a house fire in advance rather then figure it out as it happens.

As a parent I have decided it is impossible to over communicate. Planning for the unexpected is the best preparation for protecting your children from dangers inside and outside of the home. A well prepared child is confident and able to calmly deal with emergencies when they arise.