Here at the Safety Center, concerned parents are often asking, “how do I teach my child about strangers?” We’ve been offering some helpful tips to families all year long, but these are some of our most important. John Walsh gives some of his best advice to help parents teach kids about who the safe adults in their lives are. Kids need to know how to react when faced with a situation or person that makes them feel uncomfortable. Many of these are common sense rules that you should remind your kids about as often as possible:
- If someone you don’t know tries to take you somewhere, you should yell out, “this is not my mother” or “this is not my father!”
- If someone comes to the door, never open it unless an adult is with you.
- Don’t’ speak to people you don’t know.
- Never give out personal information to someone you don’t know.
Check out the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)’s website for many more tips on how to keep your kids safe from dangerous situations.
9 Comments on "Ask John Walsh: How Do I Teach My Child About Strangers?"
Joyce
Once when my child was young……..a man came up and asked for directions……when I gave him some…….My child felt like he wasn’t a stranger because I had talked to him……so tell all the kids…..just because parents talk to someone…….it could still be a stranger!!!
Please dont use my email address…Thank YOU
Jennifer Sexton
Well to tell you the truth kids should never talk to strangers at all because it could rescict their lives so they should always go tell an adult if someone is trying to hurt them or if something is not right and never get a car with someone you don’t know run to a nearest store or call for help.
auralace
My daughter taught her two small children a very effective and easy way to teach her young children NOT to talk to strangers.
She told them in advance… if anyone talks to you and you ignore them while we are shopping, the park, zoo, I will Reward you with the something out of the Special Reward Jar. It was so amazing to watch them (age 3 and 5) Not talk to stangers or an employee.
Sure enough.. both men and women would try to talk to the boys.. and they ignored them.
Knowing they would get a slip out of the jar for Not Talking To Strangers!
The treat jar was filled with slips of paper and it was snacks, pick a movie from home or the library, story book, visit to the pet store and so on (get creative pick things your children would enjoy, lets them add ideas)
it was so successful I started it at my home too when they came to visit. Plus… they would boast to one another how They didn’t talk to strangers when someone talk to them!
maria sambrano
I just want to say thank you for what you are doing for all of us. i was a liitle girl when i first seen the moving Adam. He really broke my heart but it also open my eyes up. can you try to show on fox the moving Adam, i want to show my daughters. once again thank you and GOD BLESS YOU AND FAMILY!!!!!!!
maria sambrano
i teach my children not ti talk to strangers. but sometimes you might have to. Like for an example,when someone is chasing you and you or following you, you have to ask someone for help. but my kids have a past word.
Teddy
I want to thank John Walsh for the fantastic job he has been doing all these years. My Husband & I have watched AMA from the very beginning, & we are BIG AMA supporters.. For all you have helped, & will continue to help, we say Thank-you & God bless you… Keep up the great work!
Jake Graff
Another important element to this is if a person is forcing your child into a car that the child scream at the top of their lungs, “This is not my father/mother!”
In todays world of mistrust a screaming child can go ignored due to the fact that many children rebel in vocal tones against their own parents so we have become numb to children yelling and ranting. So be sure to teach them to say, “This is not my father/mother!”
We also have a rule to only allow an adult to open the front door even if it is family and friends, so that there is no confusion.
Shelly
I have a 5 yr old son & he is very friendly, it is the hardest thing to do is teach your child stranger safety when we live in such a horrible world, i also am teaching my son just because a person is in a cop uniform or teacher or any one that most look at as OK they are still strangers because anymore you can’t trust anyone, i was kidnapped by my real father when i was little & it really is hard having to teach your child something like this when most people live in fear more often then not. Thanks for the tips! & keep up the great job you do putting bad people behind bars!
Karen
EVERYONE GET THE VIDEO BY JOHN WALSH AND JULIE CLARK (BABY EINSTEIN FOUNDER) CALLED ‘STRANGER DANGER/SAFE SIDE SUPER CHICK”!!!! EXCELLENT TIPS AND THE KIDS LOVE TO WATCH IT OVER AND OVER!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, JOHN. YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION!!!
Please Leave a Comment!