Why Should You Teach Safety?
The school year is fast approaching. Not much longer until you will be seeing your child off at the bus stop and sending them to a day full of learning and fun.
Along with all the knowledge and adventure your child will be exposed to, unfortunately they will also be exposed to dangerous situations.
By nature, I tend to focus on the positive rather than the negative. After all, good and bad are equally present in all situations. It’s what we choose to focus on that shapes our lives.
However, there is a difference between oblivious ignorance and informed intelligence. Safety happens to be one of those issues where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Unless you teach your child how to be safe in today’s world, you are putting them at risk.
Teaching Children Safety
One of the most important things about teaching children safety is to teach them what you want them to do instead of what you don’t want them to do. This has to do with the way our minds work. If I tell you right now not to think of a pink elephant, do not think of a pink elephant, under no circumstances do I want you to think of a pink elephant, what did you see in your mind?
So when you tell your child, “Don’t run in the house,” “Don’t pick on your brother, ” “Don’t chew with your mouth open,” “Don’t forget to take the garbage out,” what your child hears is “Run in the house,” “Pick on your brother,” “Chew with your mouth open,” “Forget to take the garbage out.”
Get the idea?
When you are teaching children safety, it is important to remember to tell your child what you want them to do. I still remember a college professor I had who spent so much time telling us what the answer to a question wasn’t, that when it came time to take the test I couldn’t for the life of me remember what the answer actually was.
Safety Tips for Kids
So instead of teaching your kids what not to do in order to be safe, teach them what they should do.
Instead of “Don’t get in the car with a stranger” say, “Only get in the car with someone you know and trust.”
Instead of “Don’t play with guns,” say, “Guns can be dangerous. Always be careful around guns.”
This may seem a bit like splitting hairs, but it is vitally important to your child’s well-being.
Safety Resource for Kids
Click HERE to learn more about teaching your kids how to be safe in a positive and effective manner, check out this program put together by Kelly Rudolph, founder of SURVIVE! Self-Defense, LLC and learn how you as a man, woman, teen and child to live safer from verbal, mental, emotional and physical attack; improve your self-esteem, confidence and every communication and relationship in your life.
