| Q. What is the best way to teach safety awareness | | | | return your child to safety in the fastest and most |
| to young children? | | | | efficient way possible. Once again, you will know just |
| A. The best way is to follow your instincts. It is a | | | | what to do at just the right time. After that, go right |
| natural process. You, your parents, your brothers and | | | | to the attitudes section of the "15 Pillars of Parenting" |
| sisters, any other close members of your family, and | | | | explained in Constructive Parenting, pp. 15-18. Here is |
| your friends provide just the right input. | | | | how those pillars apply. |
| You are your child's first and most important teacher. | | | | 1. Separate the Behavior from Your Child. You do not |
| You, your family, and your friends form for your child | | | | like that your child ran in the street... but you love |
| his or her first and most important social group. Your | | | | your child. After you have protected your child from |
| parent-child relationship is the main model; and you, | | | | the harm that could have happened, and after the |
| your relatives, and your friends make up your child's | | | | emotional impact of the event has worn off, begin |
| training ground for all future relationships. | | | | teaching your child how not to repeat this behavior in |
| You as a parent work around the clock as you | | | | the future. |
| nurture, love, guide, support, teach, and protect your | | | | 2. Look for the Cause of the Mistaken Behavior. |
| child. Safety looms high in your mind at all times. It | | | | Explore the whole situation thoroughly. Try to figure |
| underlies all other interactions. As a matter of fact, | | | | out if it was caused by a lack of knowledge, a |
| you, with your family and friends provide a safety | | | | sudden distraction, or even by something that you |
| net for your child. These relationships that you all build | | | | yourself may have inadvertently said or done. Being |
| up over time are what protect him or her. It is you | | | | able to eliminate the cause is the key to preventing it |
| and all of these people who are nearest and dearest | | | | from happening again. |
| to you who teach your child who to associate with, | | | | 3. Listen and Communicate. If your child is old enough |
| what to accept from others, what to say, what not | | | | to give you information from his point of view, by all |
| to say, and who is okay for getting to know. In | | | | means listen to it. Even ask for it. Find out as much |
| addition, through books you read to and with your | | | | as you can about what went wrong. |
| children about these basic safety precautions, you | | | | 4. Be Positive, Warm, and Supportive. The focus of |
| reinforce the concepts. | | | | all communication between you and your child should |
| While you might think you need a specific formula or | | | | be on teaching. While you may have gotten excited |
| some kind of child protection procedure list to follow, | | | | over the danger and naturally raised your voice at |
| it turns out that a major part of the child protective | | | | the time, there is no need to chastise your child. You |
| process comes directly from you and your strong | | | | are your child's first and most important teacher. |
| family and extended family bonds. You will find that | | | | 5. Be a Person, Not a God. Remind yourself right |
| you, your relatives, and your friends tend to do | | | | away how many mistakes you make day in and day |
| naturally all they can to teach your child to stay close | | | | out. This time your child made one. Share some of |
| by in busy and crowded places, caution him or her | | | | your mistakes with your child. Then band together to |
| not to run in the street, show him or her how to | | | | wipe out this safety problem. Neither one of you |
| hold on tight when in a parking lot, and much more. | | | | wants to see this danger ever happen again. |
| You all cultivate this protective relationship over time. | | | | Spring brings with it the freshness of changes. It is a |
| Love is the secret ingredient that makes it all work. | | | | time of rebirth and a new beginning. Rest assured |
| Prevention is always the goal when it comes to | | | | that you, your family, and your friends are all working |
| handling problems connected with children. As they | | | | naturally on your child's safety. In addition, you now |
| say, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of | | | | know with confidence how to handle any dangerous |
| cure." However, as we all know, even with the very | | | | situation that might arise. Enjoy the freshness of |
| best of input from you, family and friends, accidents | | | | spring with a great feeling of security in your child's |
| do happen. Where do you go from here? | | | | safety. |
| The first and foremost thing to do in a crisis is to | | | | |