Five ways to teach the importance of safety to children

Safety is the number one sense of defense in one's mind for protection from all kinds of risks, accidents, and hazards. As we grow up, we tend to be more aware of our surroundings. Hence, we take more precautions and try our best to follow the rules and safety tips. This necessary awareness does not just come in our mind, and we learn this since our childhood.

Being toddlers and kids is the most carefree phase of a man's life. Their innocence is what makes them unaware of the dangers around them. Children only know how to play and laugh their hearts out without a care of anything in this world. It is one of the reasons why parenthood is the most challenging job because ensuring the safety of a child is sometimes the only thought of parents.

Children must be made aware of safety rules and defense tips gradually during their early learning life. It is the time when they absorb things and learn their lessons from their surroundings the most, and these lessons stay with them till their adulthood.

There are various forms of being safe, and when one interacts in the society, it is the time when being cautious becomes necessary. Besides knowing their name, age, address, and a parent’s or guardian's telephone number, a child should know other essentials during his early life.

The most important thing before teaching anything to a child is to practice patience and communicate positively. Tell them the reasons and pros and cons of anything you teach them. Yelling at them will only make things worse, and their curious minds will only end up attracted to what you have refused them to do. As parents, it should be the number one priority that we listen to what our child is saying, instead of pretending to listen to them while using phones. We should also closely monitor the behavior and activities of our children. Talk to them about how their day went every night before going to bed also help remove a communication barrier between parents and children.


Here are five essential safety tips that should be taught to children so that they become responsible adults:

1. Fire safety:

The first rule is not to panic. Teach the kids about the hazards of fire. Make sure they don't play with cigarettes, lighters, or plugs. Teach children to be careful around burning candles and incenses. Forbid children to play near the stove and tell them what serious hazards could be there. Also, discuss a safety route that leads to the exit of the house. Have drills once a month to remove any fear from them.

2. Street safety:

Never leave a child younger than ten years unaccompanied on the street. Whenever you are on the road, tell your child to look both ways before crossing a street. Encourage them to hold hands in the parking lot and on roads. Tell them that they should not chase anything like a cat or a car when they are on the street. Discuss the traffic signals and signboards with them. Do it often, so they learn it with time. Always tell them not to follow someone (a parent, grandparent, or a friend) out of the house without them knowing.

3. Stranger safety:

It is by far the most dangerous of all. Children understand the language of love. Anyone who talks to them sweetly and shows affection will automatically turn into their friend because children can't distinguish between a safe and an unsafe person. Just telling them, they should not talk to strangers or should not accept any candy from them will only give false hope to a parent that their child will keep himself protected.

Children should be told time and again that it’s not okay to leave school with anyone who claims to be their parent's friend without informing their class teacher. Discuss with them that it’s not okay to receive candies from anyone outside of the house or on the street at all without their parent's permission. Instill in them that if someone tries to abduct them without their consent, they should scream and ask for help as loud as they can.

4. Body safety:

Before teaching your child this, a parent must make sure that he or she is open to all kinds of communication with their children. They must ensure that their children don't feel reluctant to discuss anything with them. Once you assure this, talk to your child daily about different parts of the body and what parts are private. Explain to them what privacy means. Let them know what is safe touch and unsafe touch by using appropriate-age-words. Tell them who they should talk to if they fear someone, or if someone touches them differently without their consent. Talk about their feelings and give them a safe environment to discuss if something is bothering them.

5. Internet safety:

In this modern world, children cannot stay away from being exposed to the internet, phones, or tabs. It’s imperative to make sure that your internet browser has child lock software. When your child is nearing his or her teenage, tell them why it’s not okay to share their phone numbers, address, or school name with someone over the internet. You could even install a free vpn for linux devices and teach them about safe browsing and keeping their data safe. A VPN will also disguise their location, in case they are hacked. Discuss the consequences of sharing private information and tell them why they should not agree with someone through the internet on meeting with them.

The Final Word

We hope that these few tips were helpful for parents. There are way too many tips all over the internet, and we should read about them and try to teach them to the kids. As parents, we must make sure our children are aware of being safe so that they can keep themselves and others around them as they grow up. Open discussion with children and keeping your eyes and ears open for your children are two main factors that help in providing children a safe environment.