How can I talk about stranger danger to my 3 yr old

[Bangonthedoor]

My 3 yr old DD is a friendly, outgoing little girl and loves chatting to everyone. I'm wondering if now is a good time to start teaching her about being wary of strangers? She's very good at staying with me, she holds my hand and keeps by my side in busy places. If she loses sight of me at any point even if we are in a quiet place and I'm right behind her she starts to panic. But, if someone tried to lure her away, being the friendly type she is, I really think she would go with them.

How did everyone go about it initially? I really don't want to scare her by saying too much or the wrong things.

I know it's very unlikely that she'll be in a situation like that especially at her young age but you just never know. And being the worrier that I am, I'd rather she was clued up (as much as she can be at 3)

Thanks

There have been a few of these threads recently (including one by me - ds is 4). I would say firstly that stranger danger is misleading. In most cases the danger comes from someone they know, even if only to pass the time of day with (Holly Wells, Jessica Chapman, April Jones etc). How well do you have to know someone to define them as not a stranger?

Also, I don't want to scare my ds. I love that he's confident and sociable. 3 is still very young and their understanding is limited. I've focused on very basic information - if he gets lost, find a lady who has children and tell her; never go off with anyone without first asking Mummy and Daddy. We haven't said that strangers can be dangerous. They're so innocent at that age that they just can't comprehend exactly what that means. As he gets older we'll explain more about what that means but for now we're just drumming in some rules. When we're at outside play parks with his cousins, they're instructed to stay with each other all the time and never leave one on their own.

And we've begun to focus on what is "private' about his body and other people's. We've explained that some secrets are ok and nice (surprise parties, presents etc) but others are bad, particularly if they make him feel bad. We've told him that if anyone touches him in a way that makes him feel uncomfortable he should tell us straightaway and he'll never get in trouble. And we've also started to explain that 'no means no'. So we stop tickling him when he tells us to and we expect him to do the same when playing with others so he's aware of personal boundaries.

Is your dd only just 3 or nearly 4?