Nathalie B. Hammond Preschool

           Teaching children to be aware of their and other’s feeling is an important part of our preschool program.  In our personal safety program we teach children to apply this awareness to situations involving safety.

           Children need not wait for an offense to occur in order to recognize a potentially unsafe situation.  When a situation is unsafe or potentially abusive, some children get a queasy, uncomfortable feeling (the “uh-oh” feeling) which serves to warn them of impending danger.  While following safety rules is children’s primary form of guidance, teaching children to use their internal warning system gives them a second layer of defense.  Sometimes abusive situations are clouded and difficult for children to recognize.  They may not directly involve touching.  (voyeurism or pornographic photography are examples).  In these cases, children may not see an application for their safety rules, but may rely on their internal warning signals.

           Often, adults unknowingly negate children’s body signals and feelings by making them wear extra clothing when they’re too hot, denying children’s feelings of hunger or loss of appetite, tickling after the child says to stop.  Adults can acknowledge children’s experience without allowing the children to manipulate situations.  These feelings do not earn the child a right to disrupt the household schedule or pressure adults.  By respecting children’s feelings and inquiring how they’re feeling on a daily basis, adults can help make the children in their care safer and stronger.

 
As part of our personal safety program, some easy guidelines are offered for choosing a babysitter….

• ASK all your babysitters for names and phone numbers of families for whom they have babysat.  Call these parents and find out what they think of each babysitter.  Did they ever have any problems?  How did their children react with them?
   
• TELL your babysitters what your Family Safety Rules are, including your touching safety rules.  Tell them your child has been taught to tell if any rules are broken.

• Make a SURPRISE visit.
   
• ASK your child if he or she likes the babysitter.  Ask for reasons why your child does or doesn’t like each sitter.
   
• NEVER LEAVE a child in the care of someone who is using drugs or alcohol.  Drugs and alcohol do not cause a person to molest children, they can allow a person to overcome inhibitions.  Many people who are molesters, molest after taking drugs or alcohol.

• FOLLOW these safety guidelines even if the babysitter is a member of your family.