Over the weekend, I saw a bunch of children playing outside and I realized I would be seeing a lot more of them now that they had finished school. Watching them play in the street, I realized that they weren’t being very safe and I had to resist the urge to go outside and scold them, as a mother would, about their behavior.

It did get me thinking about the safety of children this summer. Many children will be outside, at the pools, at camp, at the park. Unfortunately, many parents still have to work and so they will leave an older sibling in charge, or a babysitter. But it really made me think about how SAFE children can be on their own. Do they really understand “stranger danger”? Do they know how to call 911? Do they know how to be safe at the pool? At the park? Do they know who to turn to for help?

I came across this article about students learning how to be safe in and out of their home and I thought of how beneficial a program similar to this would be in all schools. I remember the programs that were in place when I was in school and I never really felt that I learned anything. It was lecture-style with brochures. I think the idea of having a simulated community and having students role-play scenarios is much more engaging. It will require students to think, participate and actually retain the information they are being given.

In The Feeling Friends, we have Watcher the Caution Dog who sends a similar message to students, teaching them how to be SAFE and CAUTIOUS when doing things like crossing the street or playing around. It is extremely important that children understand what it means to feel SAFE and what it means to feel UNSAFE. What are the warning signs when we feel unsafe? We might be scared, anxious, nervous, or even feel sick. What are the signs that we feel safe? We are happy, we’re having fun, we know where we can go to get help if we need it. Helping children understand these feelings young will carry over into their older years. Parents won’t need to worry as much when leaving their high school-er in charge of siblings or letting the kids go play down the street because they will know that their children understand how to feel AND be SAFE. 

Have a great summer and please BE SAFE!