Instruct your child never to talk to strangers or get in a car with anyone, unless you have given him/her direct permission.
Instill in your child a sense of self-esteem. (Frequent praise and surprise notes in lunch box works wonderfully).
Decide on a secret family password to be used by all family members during emergencies.
Post emergency telephone nos. next to the all the phones in the house.
Have fire drill/fire escape plan rehearsals on a routine basis. Draw and post the plan in several easily visible places.
Place residential fire extinguishers in appropriate places and get familiar with the operating instructions.
Decide on a common meeting ground close to your house, incase of a fire or any other residential mishap. This prevents confusion and the fear of getting lost while escaping the site.
Teach your child about sex education but keep it age appropriate-"The areas of body covered by a bathing suit are private."
Let children learn to express love and affection in their own way. Do not push them to hug or kiss anyone just to be polite.
Develop and nurture strong communication skills with you child. This will prevent lies, secrets, and excuses in the long run, which is very important for their safety too.
Spend and enjoy quality time with your child (eating meals together, having backyard picnics, going to library, movies, parks etc. are some fun things to do together).
Make it a priority to get to know your child's friends and their families. (Do their thoughts and views match your family values? Do they have a gun/weapon at home? Is anyone in the family an alcoholic/drug abuser?) These are only some of the queries but are important factors to consider, specially, if you plan to have play dates and sleepovers for your child.
Encourage participation in extracurricular activities. This is beneficial for healthy development of mind, body, and soul.
Try your best to volunteer in your child's school activities, ranging from field trips to basketball games. This makes them feel cared for, important and confident and gives you a chance to get involved at their level.
Stress the importance of reporting bullying by schoolmates. Reinforce that you can report and still remain anonymous. Most schools today have a zero tolerance policy for bullying, so take advantage of that.
Encourage your child to recognize, trust and follow his/her instincts and most importantly - listen to your own, and act accordingly. A parent's instincts are seldom wrong and no one knows your child, as well as you do!
