5 Little Words To Keep Your Children Safe Forever! 0-3+

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When's the best time to start teaching young children about personal safety?

It's a tough question to answer.

We want to warn kids of very real dangers without scaring them or making them anxious.

Personal safety is both an attitude and a skill set. When we sow the seeds of positive, strong communication, self-awareness, problem-solving, and decision-making, we can help them develop the right attitudes.

The question is how? One simple answer for early childhood is repetition.

Repetition

Children learn best when simple truths are demonstrated, practiced, and repeated. This is not a lesson to be taught during circle time a couple of times a year, but one that is practiced daily.

In early childhood education, we call the verbal cues we use over and over again, "the broken record technique. " I'm going to share with you, now, one short sentence that changed my entire attitude as an early childhood educator and scholar. Here it is:

• Do it the safe way.

It sounds too simple, but it works because it makes sense to toddlers. We use this term because of an old Montessori technique that asks us to look at what we want to accomplish in the long run, by the time the child is 18, before we decide on an action to take when they are little.

You want a turn with that toy? Do it the safe way.

You want to kick that ball? Do it the safe way.

You want to climb the stairs? Do it the safe way.

You want to make friends? Do it the safe way.

You want to be healthy? Do it the safe way.

You want a relationship? Do it the safe way.

You want to earn money? Do it the safe way.

When we say it like this, we validate their desire to learn about things and try them out, while maintaining the authority to stop them and show them a better way when necessary for their safety. Here are some other phrases that can be used early on, and as they get older.

• It's my body.

• It's your body.

• Be gentle.

• I have skin too, and some things hurt me as some things hurt you

• You can choose.

• Sometimes a parent or a doctor has to help you stay clean and healthy.

• I don't let anybody hit me!

• Good people can look different than what you are used to.

• Tricky people can look just fine, and still try to trick you.

• A stranger is just someone you don't know.

• Never believe a stranger who grabs your hand or tries to get you to look at something.

• Never believe a stranger who asks you for help.

• Most people are good, but a few people are tricky.

• If a stranger or a tricky person tries to take you somewhere, yell No! or No! You're not my mother (father), I don't know you!

• Yell it as loudly as you can.

  
  

We found a couple of picture books about personal safety that you might enjoy.

Here are a few more things we can do to help with teaching personal safety.

One

Allow children to play. Play gives children a chance to try things out and find out what's acceptable and unacceptable to others. It lets them learn to make decisions on their own, which is a great skill to have. It lets them practice assertiveness and body control.

Two

Teach them to communicate. Children need the proper words for all body parts, not just head, shoulders, knees, and toes!

Start talking during diaper changes and be matter-of-fact about discussing them using anatomically correct language.

Three

Talk about feelings.  First theirs, then yours, then others'. Look at picture books together and talk about how the characters might feel. Teach them to trust their feelings. Be open about your feelings, too.

Four

Listen without interruptions and without judgment. Let them know you're there for them anytime.

Thanks for stopping by. We hope this tip gives you an energy boost! You deserve it!

If you ever feel at a loss for the right words to use to help young children listen without yelling or time-outs, we have an answer for you. It's called Magic Words, and you can get a free copy by joining our community here. In it, we answer questions like:

• What to say when a child hits

• What to say when a child won't clean up

• What to say when a child tattles

• What to say when a child procrastinates

• And more

Here's the secret. Magic Words, which covers early childhood, preschool and grade-school phrases, is contained within your copy of Birth-3 Brilliance. You'll get both publications in one as soon as you join our community. After that, we'll send you one great tip each week to keep you going.

Birth-3 Brilliance is Free!

Nanci J Bradley is an early childhood and family educator, author, teacher, family aerobics instructor, and all-around fun-loving person. She believes in the power of sleep, healthy eating, lifelong learning, and most of all, PLAY! She studied early childhood education at Triton College and received her BS in education from NIU in 1986. She received her MA in human development from Pacific Oaks College in 2011. She lives and teaches in Madison WI.