Q. What is the best way to teach safety awareness to young children?
A. The best way is to follow your instincts. It is a natural process. You, your parents, your brothers and sisters, any other close members of your family, and your friends provide just the right input.
You are your child's first and most important teacher. You, your family, and your friends form for your child his or her first and most important social group. Your parent-child relationship is the main model; and you, your relatives, and your friends make up your child's training ground for all future relationships.
You as a parent work around the clock as you nurture, love, guide, support, teach, and protect your child. Safety looms high in your mind at all times. It underlies all other interactions. As a matter of fact, you, with your family and friends provide a safety net for your child. These relationships that you all build up over time are what protect him or her. It is you and all of these people who are nearest and dearest to you who teach your child who to associate with, what to accept from others, what to say, what not to say, and who is okay for getting to know. In addition, through books you read to and with your children about these basic safety precautions, you reinforce the concepts.
While you might think you need a specific formula or some kind of child protection procedure list to follow, it turns out that a major part of the child protective process comes directly from you and your strong family and extended family bonds. You will find that you, your relatives, and your friends tend to do naturally all they can to teach your child to stay close by in busy and crowded places, caution him or her not to run in the street, show him or her how to hold on tight when in a parking lot, and much more. You all cultivate this protective relationship over time. Love is the secret ingredient that makes it all work.
Prevention is always the goal when it comes to handling problems connected with children. As they say, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." However, as we all know, even with the very best of input from you, family and friends, accidents do happen. Where do you go from here?
The first and foremost thing to do in a crisis is to return your child to safety in the fastest and most efficient way possible. Once again, you will know just what to do at just the right time. After that, go right to the attitudes section of the "15 Pillars of Parenting" explained in Constructive Parenting, pp. 15-18. Here is how those pillars apply.
1. Separate the Behavior from Your Child. You do not like that your child ran in the street? but you love your child. After you have protected your child from the harm that could have happened, and after the emotional impact of the event has worn off, begin teaching your child how not to repeat this behavior in the future.
2. Look for the Cause of the Mistaken Behavior. Explore the whole situation thoroughly. Try to figure out if it was caused by a lack of knowledge, a sudden distraction, or even by something that you yourself may have inadvertently said or done. Being able to eliminate the cause is the key to preventing it from happening again.
3. Listen and Communicate. If your child is old enough to give you information from his point of view, by all means listen to it. Even ask for it. Find out as much as you can about what went wrong.
4. Be Positive, Warm, and Supportive. The focus of all communication between you and your child should be on teaching. While you may have gotten excited over the danger and naturally raised your voice at the time, there is no need to chastise your child. You are your child's first and most important teacher.
5. Be a Person, Not a God. Remind yourself right away how many mistakes you make day in and day out. This time your child made one. Share some of your mistakes with your child. Then band together to wipe out this safety problem. Neither one of you wants to see this danger ever happen again.
Spring brings with it the freshness of changes. It is a time of rebirth and a new beginning. Rest assured that you, your family, and your friends are all working naturally on your child's safety. In addition, you now know with confidence how to handle any dangerous situation that might arise. Enjoy the freshness of spring with a great feeling of security in your child's safety.
Ask your questions to Dr. Sally at drsally@drsallyparenting.com., www.drsallyparenting.com, 561-715-9115.
Sally Goldberg, Ph.D., professor of education and author, is an adjunct instructor at Nova Southeastern University and at the University of Phoenix Online. She is also a well-known national conference presenter who gives workshops, presentations, and keynote speeches. You will also see and hear Dr. Goldberg as a frequent specialist on TV and radio. She has a bachelor's and a master's degree from Cornell University. She also has a Ph.D. from the University of Miami. She is a regular writer for the Parent Guide, a Tampa Bay magazine, Today's Parent, a South Florida newspaper, Parents' Monthly, a Sacramento magazine, and Viewpointe, a Palm Beach County newspaper. She is also often quoted in major national magazines and newspapers.
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..Child care costs are are one of the most expensive... Read More
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Results of the Spanking Poll on Rexanne.com: Voters - 233Percentage... Read More
How in the world do you get your child to... Read More
Not all parents subscribe to the notion of "tough love,"... Read More
It was no contest. Given a choice between a ball... Read More
Recently, a much-anticipated game of mini-golf with my children soon... Read More
I wanted to share with you one of the most... Read More
While on a recent trip to the grocery store, I... Read More
It's among the top criticism wives have of their husbands:... Read More
Most of us when asked what we want our children... Read More
With the beginning of the new school year coming VERY... Read More
When my daughter was born, I must admit there was... Read More
Younger generations unfortunately will not understand how larger than life... Read More
Many families do not want to believe their child is... Read More
Finding out that a child has been born with a... Read More
There are many things to like about the television show... Read More
Just a couple of years ago Annie helped her parents... Read More
Nail biting in all its various forms is problematic... Read More
As mothers, we play so many different roles and most... Read More
Q. My daughter is a junior in high school and... Read More
The public school system in America has become a dismal... Read More
John was a 43 year-old sales manager at a large... Read More
Puberty can be a difficult time for children. Not quite... Read More
Does your child pout, blame and brood? Does he gripe,... Read More
I was reading "A Modern Infant Armada", a humor column... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..Mother's Day is important for children.This Mother's Day take note... Read More
The most common medications used in the treatment of Attention... Read More
I still remember the scene vividly. I was getting out... Read More
Do any other reality TV junkies remember a show on... Read More
Giving advice to a teenager is very easy; getting a... Read More
A learning disability is defined as a permanent problem that... Read More
Nothing touches the heartstrings of a parent more than the... Read More
Boredom, limited space and overflowing energy are a source of... Read More
Most parents can hardly wait for their baby to say... Read More
Whenever parents discuss how to deal with bed wetting, the... Read More
When my oldest daughter was born, I walked the floor... Read More
Once upon a time, I thought I had it all.... Read More
Children explore the world around them and learn through pretend... Read More
"All that I am or ever hope to be, I... Read More
Although it's hard to say when the first stuffed dogs... Read More
At age seven months in the womb, humans begin language... Read More
There's a new kind of fun and calm out there... Read More
Bullies are an ugly but very real part of childhood.... Read More
Sara loves pampering. Haircuts, facials, manicures, and makeup bring smiles,... Read More
Ok. So you're a dad to be. If you're like... Read More
There isn't a school day that goes by that I... Read More
Just two days ago, another 15-year old child was added... Read More
Your child's first year of school should be a fun... Read More
We are all aware of the child obesity epidemic that... Read More
Ever blown your top to your children, only to regret... Read More
Parenting |