Stranger danger - when did you have 'the talk'

[puddle]

My ds is (just) 7 and his sister is 4.

They both know their names (obv), address and what to do if they get lost. DS knows phone numbers. We have also talked about bodies and what parts are private and just for you to touch.

I have not had any stranger danger talk though (and am thinking this is prob more relevant to the 7 year old). I have been putting it off - I can't bear to tell him there are bad people out there and then deal with the inevitable questions. What age did you do this, and if you have, how did you do it?

The Sarah's law thing in the news this week is what has got me thinking about this.

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I had a talk with dd(6) last year becuse she was so fond of hiding when we were out for a walk. It used to make me so nervous that I had to let her know why she should stay where I could see her when we're out.

I've already started introducing the idea to my 3yo. She wanted to know why I wouldn't let her out on the front without her older sisters.

emat how did you broach it?

i really wouldnt be right arsed.

i wouldbe more frightened of cars and road safety.

if lost when older tell them to go to a shop and tell the woman working there.

the likleyhood of your child being abducted by a stranger is negligable. if they are going to get sexually abused in anyway its more likley to be a dodgy uncle or grandpa.

i would take safety precaucions becuase of traffic, and drunk teenagers

becuase its when they are teenagers that a bottle of white lightning and a fight can end with your child being dead.

its not something to worr over.

i did tell my children about the '6th sense' called it my spidey sense, staying at someones house - you just know as a child that somethings not right.

and told dd when she started havingsleep overs that if shes uncomfrtable and its 3am - ring me - i would be proud of her - not upset.

Custy thank you for that - I do agree with you and I think that may well be why I haven't done it before.

I think all the talk on the news of your children having 'code words' etc made me feel like a slack parent though.

the most important talk is the talk about - it doesnt mater whether its granny grandad, me or dad - it doesnt matter who it is - your private bits are your private bits.

thats the most important talk. IMO

and road safety.

Custy summed it up so much better than I could

Abductions are rare but they do happen so it's worth having the talk I reckon. My DP (when he was a child) was once asked by an old man if he wanted to go to his flat to look at some puppies. he was all ready to go until his older brother stopped him because he'd been taught about stranger danger. who knows if the old man really had any puppies but it sounds suspicious and who knows what could have happened if the older brother wasn't there. My two are only 2 and 4 so I'll delay the talk until they're old enough to go out without me or dp.