Tricky People: Things to Teach You Child Before Trick or Treating

     With Halloween coming up it's time to start thinking about how to protect our kiddos and ensure they have a safe night while trick or treating. Halloween can be a big scary night, but not because of costumes. Whether you trick or treat with your child, let them go in a group, send them out alone or with a sibling, Halloween can be a ripe opportunity for your child to get lost or separated from the group by accident or by people who's intentions are far from noble.

     We work on stranger danger with your Warriors regularly. We want them to feel comfortable saying "No", fighting and running (when needed) while yelling for help, and with telling a safe adult what happened after. But what if your child gets lost and needs an adult's help to locate you? Do they know how to recognize a safe stranger?? Have you reiterated how to recognize a tricky adult who might not truly be trying to help them? Do you as a family, have a safe word or password that allows your child to leave an area with another adult?


   
     These are scary topics to think about, but teaching our children the information and skills they need in order to handle unsafe situations breeds confidence- not fear. When everything is said and done, the phrase "knowledge is power" undoubtedly applies to our children keeping themselves safe. As much as we wish we could physically be present always and protect our kiddos from everything, that is just not reality. So don't lose sleep over this. You can empower your child and give them confidence by teaching them what to do in these kinds of situations.

     This article by our sister school, Pride Mixed Martial Arts in Edmond Oklahoma, offers some great advice on how to seek out a safe adult and practice feeling courageous and strong in these kind of situations. A few other safety points we would like to make include:

1. Teach your child that in addition to women (as the below article suggests), strangers in uniform (i.e. Police officers, fire fighters, EMS, nurses, military personnel, store workers, and security guards) tend to be good guys and the safest in a situation where your child is lost and/or need help
2. Teach your child that if an adults needs help, they'll ask another adult for help. Not a kid. This is important to stress because only tricky people try to lure a child away by asking a kid for their help.
3. Setup a family password. If an emergency were to arise and you or another family member cannot pick the child up from school, or an event it is best to have a family password setup in advance. This password has to be given by the neighbor or friend attempting to pick the child up before the child leaves the area with them. This is important because as much as we want to trust the people in our lives, statistics show that children are taken advantage of primarily by someone they are familiar with rather than a true stranger they've never met. Instilling a family password lets your child know all is safe and this empowers them during stressful or scary situations. Be sure to quiz them on this password routinely and change it once utilized.

Overall the important thing to remember is:

"It's not what you do for your children,

but what you have taught them to do for themselves

that will make them successful human beings" (Ann Landers)

Hope this helps! Check the full article out here and get ready 

to have an AMAZING safe and fun Halloween with your Warrior!

Teach your kids how to talk to strangers

#RaiseAWarrior