This week’s blog is such an important topic. If you the parent are aware and better informed, then you can pass on this information to your children as well. Here are two more tips on how to protect your kids from predators:

• Explain how predators work on the internet. Tell your kids to never give out their personal information (name, address, phone number, school, friends names, etc…) without your approval first. Have them tell you first if someone ever does ask them for this type of information. Remind your kids that the person whom they’re talking to may be lying about who they really are. If your children do come to you, telling you that someone asked for their personal information, make sure you reward them. Remind them that they’re not just protecting themself, but other kids too.
• Talk to them early on about good touch and bad touch. ANYTHING that makes them feel uncomfortable needs to be discussed with a trusted parent. Also discuss who (parents, grandparents, etc) may touch them in their private areas and who may not. Call private areas by their appropriate names (penis, vagina, breasts). If you’re comfortable talking about your children’s body parts by their real names, then your children will be comfortable talking to you about their own body parts if they ever need to.

We hope these tips are helpful this week for your family to get a great start toward creating a defense toward predators. Please check back in as we have many more tips to cover!

Written by: Tamara Wilhelm MA, LMHC, LCAC

*Tamara enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, & couples counseling  at Imagine Hope. We also specialize in family counseling, child & adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Noblesville, Zionsville, Westfield & Fishers.