Parenting

Showing your child how to fight like a rabid Tasmanian Devil can literally save her life if someone tries to pick her up or touch her inappropriately. By yelling, kicking, hitting, squirming, and even biting the offender, she may convince him to leave her alone and run. After you’ve read through my “Inner Taz” techniques …

Because your child is so innocent and still learning about the world, she has no clue what safe and unsafe touches are, so spell it out for her: “A safe touch is a way people show they care for each other. That means hugging, kissing, and helping each other. It’s like when Grandma brushes your …

One word. One simple word. I swear to God if I’d known it was okay to say no to anyone who was trying to harm me, most of my childhood molestations and teen assaults would never have occurred. But I didn’t know because my parents didn’t know to teach me that. Instead, I learned to …

Your child needs to know that his body is his and his alone and that no one has the right to touch it in an inappropriate way that’s hurtful or makes him feel violated—not you, not anyone. When you teach him about boundaries, also talk with him about this. This means he gets to have …

Boundaries are the invisible line we allow people to cross—or not—in our physical and emotional space. Teaching your child to set and enforce solid boundaries is the second most important thing you’ll ever teach him (the first is trusting his intuition). You can explain boundaries to your child in this way: “Your body and feelings …

Your child’s intuition is her first line of defense against danger and predatory people. And more than that, listening to her intuition will help her be more confident and increase her self-esteem, giving her a strong internal sense of self that will guide her and help her better resist pressure from others to be and …

There’s a LOT you can do to keep your child safe from kidnappers. Here are some practical things you can teach him to lessen the chance that he’ll be approached by a potential kidnapper: Be clear with your child’s school or daycare that no one is allowed to pick him up without your permission. Provide …

Predators can be majorly slick characters, although many of those who commit crimes of opportunity (meaning they jump at the chance to kidnap a child because the opportunity presents itself) are just fumbling along. In 34 percent of abduction attempts, the offender’s use force to kidnap their victims, including physical force, or use a weapon …

The “www” in the World Wide Web could just as easily stand for “wild, wild west!” It’s a whole different game online and predators run amok with no oversight and often no consequences. Here are some tips to teach your child to help him be savvier when he’s online: Don’t trust anyone—and I mean N-E-1 …