You probably know there are a couple of children missing right now. I should stop there and say that I'm sure there are children missing a lot more often, but one who is missing right now is in our region and so I am seeing her face in the paper and on the news, when I forget that there is a reason I stopped watching it before I go to bed. I couldn't get to sleep for a couple hours last night (when usually all it takes is my head hitting the pillow). So, as I was laying there with my eyes wide open, J asked what was wrong (which freaked me out a little, but apparently my "ice cube" feet woke him up--oops) and I told him I was thinking about that little girl and how scared she must be and what her mother must be going through and how we have a little girl.... Then, Jason couldn't sleep either, and we decided we need to talk to Anastasia about strangers.
This morning, I told Anastasia that she shouldn't talk to strangers unless mama or daddy are with her and say it is okay. As she looked at me with a blank face, I realized that she didn't know what a "stranger" was. So, I told her it is someone she doesn't know. Really, that's not entirely true. I mean, you can know who someone is, but if you don't have any sort of relationship with them, they are still a stranger, right? But,...
She's three. I need to keep this simple, in terms she can understand, and not totally freak her out. Is what I did "good enough" and I should just remind her of it periodically? I guess it would be good to add something about kicking and screaming if a stranger tried to grab her but, again, I don't want to give her nightmares. I would really like to hear what others have said/done. Thanks.
I will NEVER forget in first grade when Mrs. Freeman talked to us about strangers, and the fact that nobody has the right to touch you in an inappropriate way. Then, she did what I remember well, and a few of us still talk about - scream from the gut -in the middle of class. She went around telling us each to, "be louder," and "tighten your belly." She showed us the difference between screams of joy and screams of danger. I don't know if that helps....oh, and another one I remember is Mrs. Lord (HS anthropology teacher) telling us that if we were ever being attacked, to pee on ourselves, induce vomit, and act like you are mentally challenged...greatly decreases your chances of abduction and rape...seriously.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be so concerned at 3 yrs as she is not by her self, but with you all the time when out.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was 5 and had to walk by myself to school, my Mum told me never to get into a strangers car etc. But she actually told me never to go with anyone not even people I knew unless she had told me a certain person was picking me up. That way there is no confusion - just never go with anyone. The child doesn't have to make any decision then, or get confused. Hope that helps! My son is 4 and I haven't told him this yet since I, my husband or a friend, is always with him. I probably should start explaining to him before he goes to school.