Summer is in full swing which means kids are involved in all kinds of activities. Whether it's cabin time with family, a week at summer camp, or browsing the internet, we have to be diligent in teaching our kids about summer safety. Just recently I heard that Snapchat rolled out a Snap Map feature which allows users to see exactly where you're located. I immediately alerted my family members so they could disengage this feature on their teens' phones and discuss why it's unsafe. I have young children but they occasionally play with Snapchat on my phone to take silly photos with their filters, and to think that someone could get our address and exact location if my kids accidentally send a Snap is pretty scary. Then, if you think about the thousands of children and teenagers who use the app and how easily predators could get their information - absolutely terrifying.
It's so important that we start talking to our children at a young age about potential dangers and how to avoid them. Summer months are tricky because kids are spending so much time with different people and new environments. That being said, I don't want my kids to be worried about all strangers or situations. Rather, I want them to be aware of potential dangers and have the ability to get out of situations if they are not comfortable. I've partnered with the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, Inc. to share some lessons and talking points to keep kids safe during the summer months. Plus, you won't want to miss the giveaway for family tickets to Legoland!
The Monique Burr Foundation for Children, Inc. is a non-profit organization focused on child safety. Their 5 Safety Rules are taught in nearly all of Florida's elementary schools and will be taught in some middle schools starting this fall. This summer they introduced a program called MFB Summer Safety Matters, which provides important educational resources for children and teens on situations specific to the summer months.
There are five lesson plans on summer safety in the online portal. Parents and children/teens can read through each category together and then take a quiz to check their knowledge on each section. Each question answered correctly gets you a point towards prizes that are awarded at the end of summer. You can also earn additional points for sharing the quizzes on social media. Grand prizes include two family four packs of tickets to Legoland and a pair of tickets to the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye!
The Summer Safety Matters program begins with the 5 Safety Rules that originated with MBF Child Safety Matters. These rules are relevant no matter the time of year, and are a great starting point when discussing what to do in an unsafe situation. My son is fairly young but I know that the sooner I start talking to him about bullies and potential risks, the more aware and better armed he'll be when he comes up against them.
The next lesson plan focuses on Safe Adults. All children and teens should have safe adults in their life who can help them out of unsafe situations, or who they can talk to if they have been victimized. This section helps you choose safe adults with your children and discusses what to do if there are no safe adults around.
The third section is on New Places. Many children and teens participate in activities during the summer that introduce them to new environments, like sports or camps. This lesson plan gives parents helpful questions to ask when sending their children to new places, as well as things to talk about before sending their kids off. It also discusses familiar places and how parents and children need to be diligent even if they're in a comfortable setting.
The next section focuses on Unfamiliar Faces, which are people they may encounter at new places. It's important for your kids to know about real-world dangers and that there are safe and unsafe strangers they may meet. This lesson plan teaches how to recognize a safe stranger and what to do if they find themselves in a scary situation. It also talks about familiar faces and being mindful of people who are spending time with your children as most sexual abuse happens by someone a child knows.
The final section of Summer Safety Matters is dedicated to Screen Time. As I mentioned earlier, we monitor our kids use of screen time pretty diligently. I think that's necessary in this day and age with the cyberbullying that occurs. On top of that, predators have much more access to kids and teens, especially with features like Snapchat's Snap Map. It's important to lay ground rules with your children about the sites they're allowed to access, establishing a good online reputation, and cyberbullying. The Screen Time lesson plan discusses all of these at length.
I personally read through each lesson plan and discussed each section with my son. We took the quizzes together and not only did my son learn some valuable safety tips, I did too. There were tons of ideas on how to approach things with your children, even difficult subjects like sexual abuse. Whether you've got a four year old or a teenager, it's never too early or late to start talking about summer safety.
The lesson plans on Summer Safety Matters are all concise and short. They won't take long for you to complete with your child. Plus, you'll get points for every question you answer correctly in the quizzes. You can redeem the points for prizes at the end of summer. And you don't want to miss out on the opportunity to win the grand prizes! Head to the Summer Safety Matters website to get started on the lesson plans and quizzes.
Have you talked about summer safety with your kids?
What were some of the things you talked about?
Let me know in the comments below!
Disclosure: This post is a sponsored campaign written by me on behalf of the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, Inc. All text and opinions are my own.
Nicole Lancaster says
Yes, I have talked to my kids about summer safety. We have talked about safety when playing at the park and at the public swimming pool.
Sapana V says
That's an incredible step. This organisation is doing a great job. Kid's safety is must nowadays and spreading awareness is really helpful.
Carolsue says
Yes, we've talked about summer safety. Everything from safety at the pool, riding their bikes and even things like wearing sunscreen and, of course, to tell us if they feel anyone has done anything they feel uncomfortable with.
Mia says
This would certainly provide a nice starting point for discussion.
Ashley Chassereau Parks says
This sounds like a great mission to be on... we need to be diligent as adults to keep our kids safe. I love the quizes! I have been talking with my kids as long as they were old enough to understand & I'd love to see more parents really talking to their kids about this type of safety!
Linda Manns Linneman says
Our world has gotten so bad. It has really changed since my boys went to school. Child safety is so important. Thank you so much for sharing this great information. God Bless
Josh Christian says
We can never be too safe with our loved little ones.
Deborah D says
This sounds like a wonderful program. It should be taught in all schools in the nation.
Sandra Genandt says
It's a shame that we have to be so diligent now. Our world isn't as safe as it used to be. It makes me sad.
Aimee Patalano says
This sounds like a useful summer safety protocol with 5 summer safety rules and lesson plans with quizzes!
Jennifer Zucchero Aikens says
I've tried to explain to my daughter. She gets very scared but I'd rather her be scared and cautious.
Chrstie Heckler says
Safety is ALWAYS a must!
Victoria Scott says
We've talked about pool/swimming safety and about new places!
Margaret Appel says
Talking to your kids about safety issues is never a bad thing. Ours have grown up & left the nest, but knowing we have given them the tools for personal safety to pass on to their kids when they have them helps.
Yaniris Vidal says
These are good points, I particularly look for red flags all around me in order to keep up with kids. I also try not to go with both kids by myself to public places on the weekends since there has been so many cases of kids going missing. Since they are two different ages 2 and 5 they want to be in different areas and I cannot keep up.
Amber Ludwig says
Summer safety is so so important!! I am constantly talking to my son about safety! He;s only four but I figure starting him early will help instill it in his head for when he's a little older and doing some things out on his own!
Gayle says
ALWAYS important to tell children adults do not ask children for help. .. don't ever help a strange adult find a puppy or help him or her gey cupcakes out of their car etc. ONLY bad ...tricky adults would ask a child they didn't know for help.
Grace whyte says
I've talked to my children about phone safety, but should talk about the rest.
Sue E says
Safety has always been a huge concern of mine. Now the saying Watch Out for Stranger Danger goes much farther than that nowadays!! You have technology to watch out for now! A bunch of different apps that can locate you and personal identity thieves! Bad people disgusing themselves and how would we know? It is just plain scary! Also kids are so tech savvy that it scares me also! The worst I had to worry about with my kids were their beepers. I talk with my younger grandkids all the time! I think keeping an open conversation and line of communication is a big important key nowadays! I mark down times they leave and names of who they go with - screen names too. I also tell them to tell their parents or us or their teachers if there is anyone or anything that is strange or out of the ordinary. Thank you for sharing! Any tips about safety is worth it in my book! Don't get me started on these school shootings either!
Kevin Puls says
We tend to visit the same places and not to to strange locations so that the kids can feel comfortable with a routine.
On a side note,... where is the entry form for the Legoland tickets?
Ruth V. says
Hi Kevin, it was at the link within the post (http://www.mbfsummersafetymatters.org/), but the giveaway has ended.
Debbie Welchert says
This is the first time I have heard of this program. I will be passing this information on to my daughter. My grandson uses snap chat and now I will be having a long talk with him about it.