How to Talk to your Kids about 'Stranger Danger'

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CLEVELAND - As school starts back up, now is a good time for parents to have a conversation with their kids about ‘stranger danger.’ 

But if you’ve never had that talk before, you may wonder what to say. 

“I think it's important to not be scary and not have this idea of the boogeyman coming to get you,” said Gina Robinson, MD, pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “It's easy to slide into that kind of a conversation just with all of the messages that we hear, all the things that you hear on the news, it's very easy to kind of veer into that area.” 

Dr. Robinson said instead focus the conversation on who the child can trust and go over a list of adults that are considered safe – like a police officer. 

It's also a good idea to practice some scenarios so they know how to respond. 

One example could be they're walking home from school when a stranger pulls up in a car and asks them for help finding their lost puppy. 

You should explain to your child that an adult would never need their help with something like that or with any kind of emergency. 

Another option is to create a family password or phrase that could be used if a stranger ever claims to know them. 

“Also, you don't have to be polite to everyone, especially if someone is approaching you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable. That's a hard lesson to learn because we want our children to be polite. We want our children to be to be able to have appropriate conversations. But if someone is making you feel uncomfortable, you don't owe them that courtesy,” noted Dr. Robinson.

She also reminds parents to make sure their kids know to ask permission before running off at the playground or anywhere in public.