Essential Books for Discussing Strangers, Getting Lost, and More

Over the past week my children and I have been talking about safety. On the news I've recently been hearing about people going into schools and shooting children. Strangers trying to kidnap children on their way to school and so on. Schools have been practicing lock downs. Our church wants to have someone come in to talk to our children about strangers and personal safety. I am like, "Good Golly!" And I know why they are doing it. It's awful that we have to worry about this everyday and that people are willing to hurt children, but at least schools and everyone are taking the right precautions.

This is a topic that I talk to my children about all the time. I homeschool my children, so there are certain dangers I don't have to worry about, thankfully, but even so, I make sure they are aware of how to handle certain situations that might arise. It's a must! Well, as a mother you all know that fears automatically come to mind, and that protective instinct comes out in full force like a tiger on the attack. If we can prevent something from happening, we will.

I found some books that we have been discussing that might be helpful to many of you. Some books are silly, some are more serious, but they all make for great discussion when read to your children. They ask questions, you give wise answers, and there you go. Some cover quite of bit of interesting info.

Here are a few of my books. If any of you know others, please share. I got these books through scholastic but they are also available through Amazon.



  Lost is about a bear who gets lost. When a truck breaks down the bear climbs into the back looking for a good place to nap and finds himself in the city. He has no idea where he's at. A young boy finds him and helps him find his way home by asking him many questions about where he lives. This book brings up conversation pieces about knowing where you live and how to describe it. Also, knowing where to look. In a parents case we can discuss a child knowing their address, phone number and who a safe person is to talk to if they do get lost.

Another book:



This one talks about the various emergencies that can happen everyday. It mentions calling 911 for emergencies, ambulances, policemen, tow-trucks, flooding, blizzards, and so on. It talks about how certain people help in various situations. For parents, a discussion about these situations, especially if they happen in your area, like flooding or blizzards, will prove helpful for your childs understanding. Simple book with lots of pictures.

Next,

and


These are both great books which talk about creating an emergency escape plan in case of fire. Testing fire alarms, what you should do if you catch on fire (obviously stop, drop and roll), and reminder tips. Stop, Drop and Roll has 10 actual fire safety tips from Sparky on the back. Both books create lots of discussion opportunities in various ways relating to fire safety. Both cover a tremendous amount of area.

This book is also about getting lost, but in a grocery store. A parent can relate it to any store situation, like the mall or department store. A child wanders off, in this case a pup, and they find that they do not know where their parents or grandparents are. Creates discussion about staying close and not wandering.

This is a silly story, but it gets the point across. Do not talk to strangers. It doesn't scare children, but makes them laugh at the examples that are given. There are exceptions, of course, like if the parent knows the person and so on, but the book discusses those situations in a fun way.

 Again, if anyone knows of other books that are informative and helpful, please share them. I would definetly be interested.
Thanks!
Renee