Talking to 4 yr old about safety/stranger danger

[Sticki]

Does anyone know of a good book or have advice about talking to a 4 year old (nearly 5) DD about stranger danger and personal safety?

DD is spontaneous and outgoing which I want to nurture but also add some gentle awareness of safety. We live outside the UK in an apparently safe environment where 7 year olds walk/get the bus to school on their own. Whilst out and about with me DD will talk to anyone and everyone. We will be spending some time in the UK over the summer and Im concerned that her behaviour might not be appropriate. She is very strong willed - last year she ran off on a crowded beach which scared us. On the other hand she is sensitive so I dont want to scare her.

Any help appreciated!

Try the NSPCC website - I think they have some different age appropriate guidance....

I guess as long as she knows that talking to people is friendly but going anywhere with someone she doesn't know is not ok, and she should come and tell you anything that she thinks is a bit strange (make sure she knows you won't get angry, and make sure you don't if anything does come back).

Also I think it's fine to tell a child that you get scared/upset if they run away, and ask them to be careful not to do it.

Thanks - I'll have a look on the NSPCC website.

It's an interesting question - I have found myself getting cross/upset through fear when I lose sight of DS4, but then struggle to explain why - especially when he thinks he wasn't doing anything dangerous - I don't want to say, "there are bad people out there!" But that's basically what I'm thinking...

with dd1, from the age that she was out of the buggy we practised what she would do if we got separated. so i didn't really stress the stranger danger thing, more that i would want to find her quickly.

so, having thought about it for some time i reckoned the thing to do is practise her getting lost and standing still like a statue, shouting 'muuuuum, i'm LOST, muuuum i'm lost' again and again until i've found her.

getting lost is imo a more likely and immediate scenario than someone attempting to lure her away with talk of puppies etc.