Educating Children in Your Care

[GretasLittleFriends]

As a dc provider, do you talk the children in your care about stranger danger and good touch / bad touch?

I feel that this should be a topic for parents to discuss with their children, yet, we all know some parents who aren't very responsible.

I also feel that the more the child is exposed to these discussions, the more aware they are of their surroundings, hence the healthier they will stay. That and I want the dc kids to know if there are ever any issues that they can come to me for help.

I am also wondering if you do have these discussions with the children do you use any sort of curriculum, programs, training materials?

[Former Teacher]

As a dc provider, do you talk the children in your care about stranger danger and good touch / bad touch?

I feel that this should be a topic for parents to discuss with their children, yet, we all know some parents who aren't very responsible.

I also feel that the more the child is exposed to these discussions, the more aware they are of their surroundings, hence the healthier they will stay. That and I want the dc kids to know if there are ever any issues that they can come to me for help.

I am also wondering if you do have these discussions with the children do you use any sort of curriculum, programs, training materials?

While I was teaching a classroom, I did a stranger danger topic monthly. The center has a alley/public walkway and the children love to run up to the fence and talk to the people walking. Since we live in a VERY small town, (where everyone knows someone ) it wasn't a major concern. However it is always better to be safe than sorry. As for teaching, I had flashcards and things like that. I also did reenactments to where I would be the stranger.

I never did the bad/good touch. I would have liked to esp for the older children but because I also had very young children, I as well as the director didn't think the parents would approve of it.

Of course we would talk about the subject with an individual child when/if they played doctor or do what kids do :: However to do a topic on it, I never did

[originalkat]

I do not go over these topics with the children unless something comes up such as we are at a park and there is a suspicious character around. For the most part, I think these topics (especially at this age) are better addressed by parents because individual parenting styles/comfort levels with these topics differ so much.

[MT Momma]

I am all for talking about these things. I think they are very important for kids to know. I agree that parents should be teaching their kids these things, but I also don't think they can hear it from enough people.

I also teach preschool in my dc. I use a company called www.mothergoosetime.com Check out their website. Everything comes prepackaged and put together for you. It requires very little prep time on my part.

[gkids09]

In my state, we are required to teach a personal safety curriculum to the children in our care age 3 and older. I have also been informed that I must find out from the elementary school if they teach the curriculum to their students, and if not, I have to do it after school! Personally, I think it's the parents' job to do this. BUT, I comply with licensing and do what I'm told. DHS has a curriculum that we can use that has fun activities and stories for the children. The reasoning behind why I have to teach it is that many children get "touched" by people they are close to, people who they would need to tell, but can't because that person is the one doing it. I hate the thought of it, and I hate teaching it, but I have to do it...

[MarinaVanessa]

I know that my little girl (in pre-school) learned about both stranger danger and about how her little body is her own. They had all of us parents sign a consent form and I know that when she did this I went in and sat through it. It was very informational and I brought home a "Taking Care of Little Me" coloring book that teaches kids a very simple form of awareness. I shared this with the parents of my DC and they approved of me reading the book to their own kids and teaching them how to fight off strangers in case of an emergency. I did it the same way I saw the teachers do it and I also had them sign a consent form.

It was very beneficial I think because one of my DC kids pointed out a strange man at the park one day and I kept my eye on him. He fit the profile (single older man with no kids/grandkids at the park, no pet, and apparently no reason for him to be at the park but just looked at the kids play on the playground). Just to make sure I asked a mom that I had noticed that was there before I was there whether she had seen him with a child and she realized that in fact he hadn't. After that we both kind of kept our eye on him and when he noticed that I was doing it he started looking around and then realized that the other mom was also looking at him (they made eye contact but she looked away). He immediately left after that. It just gave me the shivers but I realized that the kids had noticed that he didn't belong there and they were aware and did the right thing which was to tell an adult and avoid the area where the man was. Yes I think that parent's should talk to their kids about this stuff but I personally have decided in teaching it and reinforcing it in my DC.

[jen]

I do. We also practice saying NO! in a loud firm voice if ANYONE other than Mom/Dad or doctor touch them in a way that makes them uncomfortable. I usually do it every few months, we go over what to do if they are lost, when to call 911, etc.