10 Vital Lessons Every Parent Should Teach
As parents and caregivers, keeping our children safe is always our top priority. While we can’t predict every situation, we can give our kids the tools they need to navigate emergencies, recognize danger, and respond confidently. Safety isn’t about creating fear; it’s about building awareness, resilience, and trust.
- Create and Practice a Fire Escape Plan
- Memorize Key Personal Information
- Learn CPR and First Aid Together
- Teach What to Do If They Get Lost
- Explain ‘Tricky People’ Instead of ‘Stranger Danger’
- Practice What to Do If Approached or Grabbed
- Differentiate Secrets and Surprises
- Use Proper Body Part Names and Teach Body Autonomy
- Encourage Trusting Their Gut
- Make Safety a Daily Conversation
Scroll below to learn more!
1. Make a Fire Escape Plan (and Practice It!)
Fires can happen fast, and smoke spreads even faster. Children should know exactly what to do if there’s a fire at home.
- Identify two ways out of every room (a door and a window, for example).
- Teach them to crawl low under smoke, and to touch doors before opening them.
- Choose a family meeting spot outside, like a tree, mailbox, or neighbor’s porch.
Also, show kids how and when to call 911. Make sure smoke detectors are tested monthly, and your family knows what the alarm sounds like. HERE is a family friendly fire safety guide to download and print!
2. Teach Key Personal Information Early
Children should memorize:
- Their first and last name
- Phone number(s) of at least one caregiver
- An emergency contact, like a grandparent or trusted neighbor
- Educated on their medical conditions such as severe allergies, diabetes, etc.
Use repetition, rhymes, or songs to make it easier to remember. Even toddlers can start learning basics like their name and the city they live in.
️ 3. Learn CPR and First Aid (as a Family)
Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere. Knowing basic first aid and CPR can save lives…literally.
- Parents and teens (ages 9+) should consider a CPR/first aid class.
- Practice basic skills like bandaging a cut or recognizing choking.
- Teach kids how to call 911, what to say, and how to identify an emergency.
Classes are available through the Red Cross, local hospitals, and many community centers. Some even offer family or kid-specific courses.
4. What to Do If They Get Lost
Whether you’re at the zoo, a mall, or a crowded park, getting separated from a child can be terrifying, for both of you. Teach them:
- Stay put if it feels safe and get loud. Yell out your caregiver’s full name to help them locate you.
- If they need help, look for a “safe adult,” like a mom with kids, a store employee, or a police officer.
- Never leave the area with a stranger, even if the person says, “your mom asked me to find you.”
Practice this often. Make it part of your family outings by pointing out where to go or who to ask for help in different settings if anyone should get lost.
5. Teach About “Tricky People,” Not Just Strangers
Replace the outdated idea of “stranger danger” with a more useful concept: “tricky people.”
A tricky person is someone, even someone they know, who:
- Asks them to keep a secret from their parents
- Touches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable
- Asks for help (like finding a pet or getting in a car)
Teach your child: “Safe grown-ups don’t ask kids for help. They ask other adults.”
6. What to Do If Someone Approaches Them
If someone your child doesn’t know, or feels unsure about, approaches them:
- They should say “NO!” loudly, and run to a safe adult.
- If grabbed, teach them to kick, yell, bite, or scream: “HELP! This is not my parent!”
- Reassure them that it’s okay to make a scene if they feel scared, in fact, the bigger the scene, the better!
Role-play these scenarios occasionally, so they know what to do without panicking.
7. Talk About Secrets and Surprises
This one’s simple: No secrets—only surprises.
- Reinforce that it’s never okay for someone (even a relative, teacher, or coach) to ask them to keep a secret from you.
- Let your kids know that they won’t be in trouble for telling you anything—even if someone else says they will.
- Teach them to come to you immediately if someone says “Don’t tell your parents.”
This encourages openness and protects them from manipulation.
8. Teach the Real Names of Body Parts and Body Autonomy
One of the most important, and often overlooked, safety lessons is teaching kids the correct names for their body parts, including private parts like penis, vulva, vagina, testicles, and buttocks. Using the proper terms is not only healthy and age-appropriate, it gives children the language they need to express themselves clearly if something is wrong.
Also, teach them:
- Their body belongs to them.
- No one should touch their private parts unless it’s to help them with hygiene or a medical need, and only if a trusted adult (like a parent or caregiver) is present.
- It’s never okay to keep secrets about touching, even if someone they know tells them to.
- Your body belongs to you, and you have the right to decide who can touch it and how. If your child isn’t comfortable with hugs, even from someone they know, that’s completely okay. Teaching and respecting their body boundaries early helps build confidence and empowers them to speak up and protect themselves as they grow.
Normalize these conversations early and repeat them often in calm, everyday language. The goal is to build confidence, body awareness, and trust, so your child knows it’s safe to come to you with anything.
9. Trust Your Gut
Children are intuitive. Teach them to listen to their feelings.
- If something feels weird, wrong, or uncomfortable, it probably is.
- Trusting their gut helps kids say no, speak up, and remove themselves from dangerous situations.
- Let them know it’s okay to leave a situation or say no, even to an adult, if something doesn’t feel right.
Build this confidence over time by listening and validating their feelings, even in small, everyday moments.
10. Make Safety a Daily Conversation
Safety shouldn’t be a one-time talk, it should be part of everyday life.
- Use stories, role-play, or books to reinforce lessons.
- Praise your child when they make safe decisions.
- Keep the tone calm and empowering, not fearful.
When safety is normalized, children are more likely to respond confidently in real-life situations.
Final Thoughts
At PM Pediatric Urgent Care, we believe health and safety go hand-in-hand. We care deeply about your child’s well-being both inside and outside the exam room. Whether you’re visiting us for a bump, a fever, or a question about safety, we’re here to support your family.
Safety begins at home, but it grows with open conversations, consistent teaching, and lots of practice.
