With the arrival of warmer weather and longer days, children are spending more time outside — whether walking to a friend’s house, heading to the park or just enjoying the outdoors.
The Alberta RCMP is reminding parents and guardians that this is a good time to check in with children about staying safe and being aware of their surroundings.
Building confidence in children to recognize unsafe situations and trust their instincts is one of the best ways to help keep them safe. Having open, age-appropriate conversations about boundaries, decision-making and what to do when something feels wrong can go a long way in preparing kids for real-life situations.
To support families in the community with these important conversations, the Alberta RCMP is sharing a list of tips parents and caregivers can review with their children:
-
Remind children never to go anywhere with someone they don’t know. Even if a stranger seems nice or asks for help, they should walk away and seek help from someone they trust.
-
Let your child know that no adult should ever ask them to do something that makes them feel uneasy. It’s OK to say no and leave the situation.
-
If something doesn’t feel right — even if they can’t explain why — children should be encouraged to leave and talk to a trusted adult as soon as possible.
-
Teach children to check in with a parent or caregiver before accepting anything or going anywhere, especially if it involves someone unfamiliar.
-
Help them identify safe adults they can approach if they feel unsure, such as a teacher, neighbour or family member.
-
Consider setting up a family password. If someone other than you needs to pick up your child unexpectedly, they should know the agreed-upon word.
-
Encourage children to stick with friends or siblings when walking or playing outside — there is always greater safety in numbers.
-
Walk or bike common routes with your child and point out safe places they can go if they need help.
-
If your child has a phone, use location-sharing features available on most smartphones, such as Apple’s Family Sharing or Google Family Link.
-
Review how to use emergency call functions and make sure they know their full name, address, your contact information and how to describe their location to 911 if needed.
-
Run through “What would you do if...?” scenarios with your child to help them think through different safety situations.
Taking the time to talk now can make a big difference later. Let’s help children feel safe, prepared and confident as they enjoy the summer.
With information from Alberta RCMP.
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@centralalbertaonline.com.
CentralAlbertaOnline encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the CentralAlbertaOnline app.