How to Teach Your Kids about Interacting with Strangers

It is never too early to teach your child about safety and security, but your teaching should be coherent to the kid’s age. Of course, you can try talking about strangers with toddlers by age 2, but they would hardly understand who a ‘stranger’ is. We suggest you start with the basics and teach your kid more as he grows older.

What your kid should know about strangers

You can start talking about safety rules with your kid from his younger age. This way when he is old enough to go to school or ride a bike with friends, you would know he is in little less danger.

Thanks to TV shows some school-aged kids might believe strangers are only dangerous when they are wearing black clothes and a face mask. They would never tell an old nice-looking man who asks them to help find his dog can be hazardous. Be sure to explain who a stranger is.

There is the general belief that only a small percentage of kids are abducted by strangers. The biggest threat usually comes from adults that kids see every day and claim they are “safe.” Thus, be sure to talk about the rules and boundaries other people should not cross — even if they are familiar to your child.

Tips for talking about strangers and how to interact with them

Teach basic body safety. Some parents have weird prejudices about the correct names for genitals. But teaching your 2- or 3-year-old about parts of his body would never hurt. As well as saying that it is not OK for most people to touch him/her there.

Explain who a stranger is. The biggest mistake that invests into scaring kids nowadays is teaching them that all strangers are bad people. Explain to your child who you call a stranger — just a person he does not know.

Point out other adults your kid can trust. Following the previous idea that strangers are not always bad, give your child couple more adults besides family they can ask for help. Teach your kid how to identify store employees or security guards. It might help if your son/daughter gets lots or is approached by a stranger that cannot be trusted.

Teach through role-playing. Kids always learn better through games — use them to make your child aware of the dangers around (just be sure you don’t scare him). After you’ve gone through basic ideas and rules, try acting out the most common situations. Role-play the situation when your kid is being approached by someone in the park, or when a person drives by and asks for the directions to somewhere. Ensure your kid knows how to act in such situations.

The most common ‘stranger’ questions

Be ready to answer some of the most common questions your kids might ask you about interacting with strangers.

1. Is our neighbor a stranger?

When teaching your kid about security, you should define who is exactly a stranger and who belongs to family trust circle. Be sure to name a person your family friend only when you are confident you can trust him.

Answer the question on image-by-image basis — “No, our neighbor is a stranger,” “Yes, Noah’s mom is our friend.”

2. What if someone tries to steal me?

Try not to scare your kid and teach him the following thing. Whenever a stranger is approaching, your kid should turn around and go back to school/home to find an adult.

3. What if he gives me a candy?

This should go simple — teach your kid to say “no” and repeat the step from the tip above — show several people that your kid can take candy from.

What else can you do?

When your kid masters speaking, teach him his full name and parents’ names, and proceed with your home address and phone number. Ask your child these names and numbers from time to time to be sure he knows them well.

You can also make your kid a personal ID card. It includes the physical description and fingerprints, age and address. You can also file a copy to your police department, but be sure to update the picture as your kid grows older.