Knowing when to disobey

We want our children to obey us and generally obey other adults like teachers and babysitters. However, we also know that most crimes committed against children are done by people they know, not strangers. So it’s important for our kids to know that if they are not comfortable with a request someone has made, they have the right to say “No”.

It can help to role play some situations where your child should say “No”.  Role play situations like someone asking for help in looking for a lost puppy or someone wanting to touch them in an inappropriate way. 

It’s also helpful to decode some common phrases someone who might want to harm them could use:

• “Don’t tell” means tell you or another trusted adult right away.
• “This is our secret” means tell the secret to you or another trusted adult.
• “Don’t yell” means yell!

Teach your child that if someone is trying to take them away, they should yell “This is not my father!” This will alert other adults to what is really going on.

Giving your children permission to trust their feelings and act on them is essential for helping them stay safe.