Over the past few months as I’ve engaged parents and teachers on child safety, one thing I’ve found is we are not sufficiently equipping our children. We wait for things to happen and then we start trying to manage the situation. We must become more proactive. When we prepare the children ahead and they encounter safety scenarios later, they would be able to make better decisions. We must build resilient children and the best way is to fuse it into a normal part of family life.
I know a “meeting” sounds too serious. The idea however is an opportunity for your family to get together regularly and bond then you would use that opportunity to teach on a particular area of safety. So you can totally have a fun name for it.
How do you start?
Identify diverse topics on safety e.g. road safety, fire safety, preventing molestation and abduction, preventing falls etc. You can get my child safety story books, they provide topics you can teach on and there are other diverse resources online.
How often should it happen?
It can be done on a weekly basis. This means by the end of a quarter, you would have covered different topics. By the end of the year, a lot more.
How should this happen?
- It should occur during a fun family activity either at the beginning, middle or end.
- It should be age appropriate to suit the age of your children
- Keep it simple, accurate and impactful
- Always ask questions at the end so they can respond in their own words and you can check for accurate assimilation
Always plan to have practice sessions after a longer duration e.g. quarterly, biannual. Drills give an opportunity for family members to interact with knowledge acquired, identify loopholes and plug it. Remember, keep it fun and repeat from time to time because repetition deepens the impression.
What are your thoughts on a family safety meeting?
