books on stranger danger - any recommendations for a 4 year old. Sorry about long question

[redcrx]

[B00]

Good grief, you're thinking about this at 4 years old? Mine's 4 and i haven't even thought of telling her anything like this yet. Should I be doing? And where are they likely to be alone to meet strangers?

I'm worried now!

[redcrx]

the post didnt allow me to put a question under the title.

Can anyone recommend a good book explaing stranger danger etc to a 4 year old?

Little CRX got seperated from me and Mr CRX yesterday. Luckily he was found by a kind ladt who took him to staff straight away. He knows his name, address etc and also told them what lodge we were staying in. He kept calm and was so brave.

Anyway, i would like to use that as a base to explaint to him about strangers and what to do if lost. He loves books and so thought there may be a great story to help.

any ideas?

[redcrx]

B00, i never though he would be able to get lost from me and Mr CRX. Id still taught him his name address etc.
But we were away at weekend. I left him on his buggy board, baby in pram and Mr CRX pushing pram as i went into a building and up the stairs. I spent 10-15 mins doing other things before waiting for Mr CRX. he then came out of a shop minus little CRX. Apparently little CRX had chased after me and Mr CRX thought he had caught me up.

i have never run so fast in all my life, back to where we had split up. Little CRX had just sat at bottom of stairs when he couldnt see me and waited for help.

You just never know B00, i didnt think id ever lose my little one like that.

I dont want to scare him, just make him aware of what to do and how to get help

[jamxtart]

I work in a playgroup, and we normally tell the children the story of Little Red Riding Hood. We then go on to explain that they should never talk to people they dont know ie when Little Red Riding Hood starts talking to the wolf.

At that age you dont want to scare the child you just need to make them aware of strangers, this book seems to do that in a fairy tale way.

This story was reccommended to me by my tutor at college when I was doing my NVQ3 as part of my assessment was on Stranger Danger.

[redcrx]

jamxtart, youre right, that is a good book to use as a base.
Can i ask you how you go about talking about what to do if lost? Obviously very few strangers are a danger so how would you tell a child when its ok to accept help

[B00]

God how scary for you Red! Getting palpatations thinking about it!

And i thought you meant strangers as in "do you want to come and look at my puppies?" kinda strangers.

My 4yr old already knows her full address, full name and both of our full names.

Incidently I was looking at a site other day, you can get something called Tottoos, they are like stick on transfer/temp tattoo things that you slap on a toddlers arm saying "if found, please call xxxxxx", thought it was a brilliant idea.

[redcrx]

oh B00, I certainly dont want a book about dangers like that.
I just want him to be aware in case, god forbid, it ever happens again. Its the finding someone in authority, police etc if he can or a member of staff. As his mum i feel that i want him to be able to get himself safe if needs be.

and yes, it was the worst minute of my life, Ive never run so fast, we were at centre parcs and there is so much water there for a child to fall into, i was terrified something had happened to him.

[jamxtart]

At playgroup and with my own children we make a collage type of picture under the heading' People Who Help us', we find and cut out different people who would help them, eg police officer, security guard, shop assistant,we tell the children that if they ever got separated from their families they should look for people like this and go to them for help.
You could even when your out with your child and you see a police officer or who ever point to them and say to your child that they will help you and keep you safe if you ever couldnt find mummy.
Sometimes though the child might not be able to see anybody in authority then I say to my own little boy that he should go up to another mummy with children and ask for help.

[redcrx]

thank you. Its pretty much what i was considering saying to him, police or staff in uniforms etc.

Its such a fine line isnt it.

[Amyjj]

what i have done is told my son is that if any one trys to talk to him out side the family to ask them the pass word somethin like your mother's maden name. If they do not know the pass word to run to the nearest person they do know you could also thell them 2 shout fire 2 draw other ppls attention to the siduation hopefully unerving the stranger enough to leave the child alone