Stranger Danger
This week daycare is talking about stranger danger. It was something I’m curious about because I wonder if Shane and I set a bad precedent to the kids if we engage people we don’t know in conversation while out. So yesterday I asked Ms. J how they are handling the talk and if there’s anything special they’d like us to enforce at home. G hears this and immediately interrupts:
G: We already talk about Stranger Danger!!!
Me: You did?
G: Yeah!
Me: Great! Are you supposed to talk to strangers?
G: No!
Me: And who is a stranger?
G: Nobody.
Me: Nobody is a stranger? Than that means you can talk to anyone.
Hmn… lesson lost. Clearly we have some work to do here.
Want my 2 cents (read on if you do, if not, don’t;) I am kind of against the stranger danger talk at this young age. Most people we don’t know are good nice people, but not people we go off with. I think there is a diffrence between talking to them about not going home/away from mommy and daddy and telling them not to talk to people. We want our children to talk to other adults, it is polite, they can learn new things and become independent. If they grow up not being allowed to talk to anyone they don’t know then they fear things that aren’t really dangrous. Not everyone is a bad person and the world is full of nice people willing to help you out if you need it.
Ariel, I see your point. I’m not interested in raising paranoid, or rude kids either, but I would feel more comfortable the kids speaking to strangers with my lead vs. on their own… until they are capable of exercising their own judgment, which right now they’re definitely not.
Rebecca, you bring up a very good point. The lost scenario is not one I’d considered before.
As I said, this is something I don’t know very much about, and certainly need some guidance.
I have a problem with teaching kids not to talk to anyone at all. What if they’re lost? Should they shun friendly people at the park? I think it’s best to teach them not to GO with anybody and if they need help to look for a mom w/ kids to talk to…
I like to let them talk to people, but keep an eye on it, like if they’re at the other end of the playground and I see them talking to someone, I’d definitely watch and if anything makes me feel uncomfortable I’d get close enough to listen, but they have to learn… At this age you wouldn’t let them out of your sight anyway, so not very dangerous for them to practice talking to people (unless you count the embarrassing things they’ll tell strangers about mom and dad…)