I was reminded of this phrase after an event in a playground. My friend and I were having a picnic lunch in a quiet park, 4 kids between us, when a man carrying a bottle walked past us, and stopped to talk, obviously drunk and trying to make a pass. We both ignored him and carried on, but the children watched him with interest and Danny (with his usual exuberance) responded and waved as he walked away towards his friends in the distance (also bottles in hand). My friend then told her children: "Remember I always tell you not to talk to strangers, see!"
I'm sure millions of parents out there tell their kids the same. What puzzles me is, how is a child supposed to know who a stranger really is? In this case a stranger who intends some harm to the child. Do we stop children from talking to everyone they don't know just because there is a ??? chance that one person may mean trouble? And if a person really does mean trouble, wouldn't they be smarter than that..... All I'm saying is I'm sure there's a better way to train children to be safe rather than the blanket statement "don't talk to strangers". Its hard enough getting basic courtesy from so many kids these days. What do you think?
1 comment:
Martha,
That's a really good question. I read that post a few days ago and wasn't sure how to answer. I still don't know. What I have told the girls is to be cautious of people they don't know, to trust their instincts and if they feel unsafe to do whatever they need to to get away. It is a very important issue and it's a pretty scary world out there I guess a lot of parents are probably wondering if they have adequately prepared their children for what to do in such situations. If you have any insightful revelations feel free to pass them along.
Post a Comment