A Wired Child Is a Safe Child

A wired child is aware of uncomfortable feelings and is confident expressing discomfort to a safe and caring adult.

At Child Safe Canada, we work every day to re-wire children and adults back to their natural state of awareness! We all have a natural level of wiring that helps us identify unsafe situations and subsequently act to maintain our personal safety.

Listen and respond appropriately.

Caring adults have a responsibility to keep children safe by fostering open lines of communication and responding to their concerns and needs.

• Assist children at an early age in recognizing and labelling their feelings.
• Listen and respond appropriately when children share all types of feelings so that when critical concerns arise, they are confident that not only will you hear their concerns, but, if required, act to keep them safe.

Do not confuse boundaries with manners.

Have you ever witnessed a child hesitate to give someone a hug, or not want to go on a special trip with a relative or family friend? These are often reactions to unsafe or uncomfortable situations that the child has identified as a threat.

• Do not disregard the child’s feelings, encourage the child to embrace the adult, or scold the child for being “rude.” If a child registers a threat and you proceed to re-wire with the message that those feelings and actions are rude or unacceptable, that in fact teaches the child to enter into unsafe situations against the child’s better judgment. When determining priorities for your children, choose safety over manners.
• Acknowledge the uncomfortable feelings a child shares with you. Ask questions and help the child assess the situation and explore safer and more comfortable options. Teaching these skills from a young age will foster a confident awareness of safety throughout adolescence and into adulthood.
• Other safe and caring adults will respect your family’s rules and the child’s boundaries. Every child has the right to chose when and with whom to display physical affection.

Create a safe community.

Make a commitment to create a safer world for all children. Listen to them and encourage them to trust their feelings. When a caring adult is present to assist a child in identifying feelings and situations, it results in the gift of a lifetime of health and safety.

• Be a good example and teach through example. The next time you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, do not get into that elevator or walk into that dark parking lot. Wait for the next elevator; call a security guard to escort you to your car.
• Verbalize to your children that you feel funny or unsafe and that you are simply making a different choice to stay safe. We all know that example is the strongest of teaching tools.

Stay SAFE and WIRED!

Prevention Is the Key to Safety