Safety for Our Little Sweethearts
Tiny pink and red hearts, paper valentines with cars, animals and your kids favorite cartoon character (who knew Sponge Bob could be sentimental!) February is all about our sweethearts! What a great time to talk safety to your sweethearts (young and old!). It can be as simple as making sure that your kids know how special they are to you and the other caring adults in their life! Strong confident kids who feel valued by their parents and caregivers are less likely to fall prey to predators. Make sure your kids are getting attention from YOU so that they do not seek out attention from others.
For parents of special needs children, extreme vigilance is necessary. Parents need to be on alert for red flag behaviors and also to be very, very diligent about keeping safety talk going on a daily basis.
Here are several tips designed especially for parents of special needs children.
Daily check ins: Tell me about the best/worst part of your day today? Have the whole family share their best/worst parts.
Debrief after each playdate or time spent away: What was your favorite part / least favorite part of that playdate/game/ride home/ piano lesson..etc.
"Who are your safe grown ups" Have your child list who his favorite safe grown ups.
Play the "What if" game in the car e.g. What if Mom needed directions, who could she ask to get help?
Consistency is the key and never to use scare tactics.
About the Author: Kim Estes is the co-founder of the non-profit organization: Parent Education And Child Empowerment (P.E.A.C.E of Mind). Kim has worked with parents for over 12 years, educating them on various parenting topics. Through non fearful techniques and easy to apply parenting strategies they help empower families to be safe.
