stranger danger

[marcicat]

Here's my un-asked-for take on teaching stranger danger to kids: at some point, they should probably get the expanded version of that concept. Add a little nuance! Some context!

Encountering strangers is part of life. Interacting with strangers, even! They're everywhere!

What I'm saying is, if kids are old enough to play outside unsupervised, it's probably time to work with them on some strategies other than 'pretend the stranger doesn't exist.'

(And what I'm REALLY saying is, we've lived down the hall from each other for almost seven years, why am I still in the dangerous stranger category? But I recognize that this is very much my own feeling to deal with, and not the kid's responsibility.)

(HOWEVER! The (much younger) kid on the third floor will sometimes wave and yell hi from their balcony, which I feel is both hilarious and also an excellent example of safe stranger interaction for their age group!)

Comments

[bonibaru]

I'm 52 and to be fair I don't want to talk to strangers either, lol

[marcicat]

Ha! Totally agree! But I do find a certain comfort in the standard low-level social interactions between grown-up strangers -- waving someone in front of you in the grocery store, or doing the smile-and-nod to the neighbor as you walk past each other going to your cars, that sort of thing. It's like -- acknowledging you both exist in the world, and are aware of each other, or something. I think I just notice the lack of it more with kids because they're the ones I see the most!

[bonibaru]

Ah yes. The finger lift off the steering wheel as your cars pass in the street! The trying to figure out an exact distance down the hall from an approaching co-worker you can say "hello" without it turning into an awkward conversation or too long stretch of silence or come across as last-minute panic! These are life skills everyone must develop.