Would You Let Your Child Leave With This Stranger?

With his online video, popular YouTuber Joey Salads brings a fascinating social experiment to light. In it, he shows how simple it is to gain a child’s trust and interest. All you need is a friendly demeanor to go along with a ridiculously adorable dog! Joey shows how kidnapping children is still a common occurrence in the United States despite all the warnings, threats, and talks about it. This is why the statistics are so horrifying. alone over 700 kids are abducted every single day!

The mothers in the video have probably spent a lot of time and effort educating their children about stranger danger, which is why they all display complete disbelief when their child calmly leaves the room with the pretend stranger. How would you, however, ever be able to predict how your child will respond? Would your kid leave the house with this outsider?

The safety and development of your child include a chapter on how to interact with strangers. The regular conversations parents have with their children need to include teaching them how to act and react when a stranger lurks or approaches them. However, as Joey amply demonstrates, simply telling them not to speak to strangers is not sufficient. As well as the repercussions of choosing to disobey all of your advice, the picture includes who and how your kids interact with and trust when they meet a brand-new person.

There may not be a foolproof, ideal approach in this case; we need to take into account our children’s environment, personalities, curiosities, and risks. But to assist you along the way, here are 5 straightforward suggestions to make the process of preparing your child for stranger danger easier.

1. Give them an Action Plan

Giving your child a specific action plan is necessary instead of simply telling them not to talk to strangers. Tell them, for instance, to only speak to people you have personally introduced to them; the fact that they observed their mother speaking to someone is not sufficient justification for them to do the same. Additionally, you must specify in detail what they should do in the event that a stranger approaches—go to the closest store or police station, make noise, and call out for you—so be specific and run through the procedure with them.

2. Not All Strangers are Bad

You don’t want your children to be constantly afraid of everything, including strangers. Show them that caution and wisdom, not fear, are their best weapons. It’s important for your child to understand that not all strangers want to cause them harm or kidnap them. In addition to making their lives much easier and anxiety-free, doing this will help them refine their sociability instincts.

3. Listen to Your Instincts

It’s crucial to understand that a sizable portion of kidnappings are committed by people kids know rather than by total strangers. Consequently, encourage your children to follow their gut feelings even if they are familiar with the person. No matter how close or well-known the person is, reassure them that it is acceptable to react and leave if they feel even a little uneasy.

4. Strangers can be Online Too

In the twenty-first century, predators don’t just skulk in parks and dark alleys; the internet is just as much their home as anywhere else. Teach your children about safe online behavior and practices, demonstrating to them how to protect their privacy, keep personal information to a minimum, and avoid interacting with strangers.

5. Do Not Feed their Curiosity

You don’t want interactions with strangers to end up being the forbidden fruit your child is actually tempted by, so don’t set up rigid and seemingly unreasonable boundaries that end up being the very reason your kids run off with a stranger. Many parents emotionally blackmail their children into staying away from strangers, but we all know that the real danger is not being away from mommy, but rather the risks that abduction actually presents. Even though you may not be able to fully explain it to your child at this young age, it is crucial that you give them some idea of the true repercussions so they can understand why it is so crucial to avoid strangers, both for them and for you.