big kids [6–9

With100% certainty I think every parent gets a pit in their stomach with just the thought of their child being taken by a stranger. It is important to talk to your big kid about strangers in terms they can understand.

Stranger Stranger

Talking to your big kid about strangers should be done first, to prevent an abduction and secondly, to lessen the anxiety of an abduction for you and your kiddo alike. Here are some points to discuss with your big kid to make sure they stay safe:

• who’s a stranger It’s important to tell your big kid that there is no way to know how someone is inside based on how they look on the outside. A stranger is simply someone he doesn’t know and he is never to go ANYWHERE with a stranger.

• main responsibility We all want polite kiddos, but when a stranger is involved, teach your child that his main responsibility is his own safety and not doing what a stranger asks is not being rude. Give your child permission to ignore a stranger or deny their requests. Teach your big kid to always stay an arm’s length away and to never take anything from a stranger, even their own things.

• not your job While some abductions involve a child being snatched up, many times bribery, flattery, treats or requests for help will be used to get a child to go willing with a stranger. Make it clear that even if a stranger is being “nice” they are still a stranger and if an adult needs help, they need to ask another adult not a kid.

• teach, teach & teach Don’t let your conversation about strangers occur once and never talk about it again. Teach your child about being safe whenever the chance arises. home alone

Teach your big kid to trust their instincts. If someone is scaring them or a situation doesn’t feel safe, back away, stand up, run or scream. As horrible as it is to think of someone taking your child, I guarantee you will feel better knowing you have talked about strangers. It isn’t something that just happens somewhere else.

Tweener really says it all —no longer your baby, but not yet an adult. He’s craving independence, but you’re looking for things to slow down, just a little. Maybe he is ready to be king of the castle…if only for a few hours.

It is inevitable that something will come up like a business meeting or quick errand where you will consider leaving your tweener home alone, but what years]

Auction

is the right age? When is it OK to let him stay by himself? While there isn’t a for sure OK age, we know you can’t leave a 5-year-old alone, but a 16-year-old can probably fend for themselves. For the ages in between, here are some guidelines to help you decide if your tweener is mature enough to go it alone:

• what’s the kid think? How does your tweener feel about staying home alone? Is he excited or scared? Before you leave him alone, he needs to be ready for the challenge. It is safe to say that under the age of 10 is probably too young to be left alone. You need to be confident your child can respond to an unexpected emergency.

• does he know the rules? Your tweener needs to know that even though mom is gone, he is still expected to follow the rules. A trip to the grocery store doesn’t mean unlimited video games and soda for him.

• what if? How will he react to an emergency? Will he make the right decision? Go over emergency scenarios to help your tweener know the right steps to follow to make a safe decision. Regardless of your tweener’s maturity level and the fact you know he will be OK alone, leaving that first time can be hard. To help ease your anxiety, determine a time you will talk to your tweener to check in on him, go over the rules for being home alone as well as your emergency plan. If you just aren’t comfortable leaving your tweener alone, consider having a teen or family friend come over to “keep him company.” Don’t call this individual a babysitter, cause lord knows your tweener is no baby!