Part 1: Protecting Children In The 21st Century
Education Is The First Safety Rule
Safety education is an ongoing part
of parenting. The sooner the process begins the easier it is
to keep the dialogue open as your children grow. My own children
certainly receive ongoing information about keeping themselves
safe, so I've seen first hand the value it has brought to their
lives. While educating your children about personal safety, don't
try to cover everything in one "learning" session or
even in a few nights. Instead, using small, easy steps, make
it a part of their whole life. Modify and expand on the safety
concepts to make them appropriate to their age - so that they,
in effect, grow up with safety knowledge.
Music, role-playing, and teaching by example are among the
important steps in educating your children to stay safer. Here
is how they can help.
Music: The fun way to learn safety
rules!
Music is a fabulous tool for teaching children safety tips.
But from what I've observed, its value has been largely underestimated.
For years, we have seen the powerful results of offering safety
education music for children. It has been popular and effective
for four reasons:
- Music is fun,
- Music is easy and doesn't require a lot of time,
- Music is a non-fearful way to instruct children about a serious
topic, and
- Children remember concepts when they learn them through music.
In fact, studies show that they retain almost 90 percent of
what they hear and sing as opposed to only about 10 percent
of what they are told. Music is also great for reinforcing
information, because children will play the songs over and
over again. To understand the power of music, think about how
you can recall the lyrics to songs that you heard years ago.
In fact, studies show that they retain almost 90 percent of
what they hear and sing as opposed to only about 10 percent
of what they are told. Music is also great for reinforcing
information, because children will play the songs over and
over again. To understand the power of music, think about how
you can recall the lyrics to songs that you heard years ago.
For years we have received
grateful comments from parents who have used safety music to
help them educate their children about personal safety. Their
words express their feelings better than I can:
"Recently, Tom's son was having
a difficult time sleeping at night, and we had tried everything
we could think of to make him less scared. In a frantic moment,
I reached over for the safety tape we purchased from you,
and turned it on for him. He was asleep in 15 minutes! When
we talked to him the next day, he said that the tape made
him feel 'safe.'"
- Sue Arrigo, mother, Indiana
"The children really enjoy the
music, and they ask us to play the tape all the time, as
it has quickly become their favorite."
- Richard L. Bowen, M.D., father, Florida
"My
daughter could not remember our area code no matter how hard
I tried until I played the music for her. After listening to
the telephone song a few times, she not only learned her telephone
number, but she remembered it."
- Robyn Gross, mother and Yello Dyno Director, Maryland
Because music is such an easy, fun, and effective way for
children to learn safety rules, we have been involved in creating
new music to broaden and further reinforce the important safety
concepts. This new safety education music, published by Yello
Dyno, is based on the latest research on how children can keep
themselves safe. For example, some of the songs on the Can't
Fool Me! album are: "Tricky People," which teaches
children how to identify some of the tricks adults use to abduct
children; "My Body's Mine" teaches children that
they are in control of their bodies and can set limits for
physical affection; and "Help Me Operator" teaches
children how to remember their telephone number and when to
call emergency numbers for help.These powerful messages will
help children stay safe and free.
This section continues with: Role-Playing and Teaching By Example
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