Stranger Danger

A recent post on a stay-at-home dads' listserv got me to thinking - do my kids know what to do if someone were to, God forbid, try to abduct them? And what about attempted abuse and that sort of thing?

The story on the listserv described an attempted abduction in one of the dad's neighborhood. A little girl was approached by a man in a car who told her to get in because he wanted to show her a puppy. The girl said no, started yelling and ran back to her house a short distance away. The man quickly drove away.

Hmm.... I wondered, would my kids do that? Or would the lure of a puppy dog be enough to coax them into a dangerous situation? I would like to think not, but....

Sure, we've admonished the kids about not talking to strangers and that sort of thing, but are they really prepared?

My wife and I are planning to put renewed effort into this area, but I would love to hear from readers about how you deal with this issue. Send me an email (dailyyak[at]louch[dot]org) or post a response in the comments section.

What's the best way to teach kids about abuse, abduction and the things that are every parents' worst nightmare? What have you tried? What works for your family?