Stranger Awareness

December is Stranger Awareness Month at Total Dojo. Each week our younger member will be learning about strangers and how to deal with them in a variety of situations.  Each week your child will be given a homework sheet to go through with their parents to help us reinforce what they have learned in class. This is not mandatory but we strongly encourage parents to take the time to help their kids learn about strangers and how to deal with each situation.

In week one they will learn that although not all strangers are bad not all strangers are good either. We will be talking about what a stranger is and how to spot safe strangers.

In week two we will be learning what to do when you get lost. Children will be taught to make a plan for what to do if they lose their parents and who are the best people to ask for help should they need it.

Week three is all about when it is ok to say no. Kids are taught to listen to their parents and do what they’re told but they must understand that around strangers it is ok to say no. That does not mean be rude but sometimes its the right thing to do.

In week four the children will learn the difference between secrets and surprises. They’ll learn they should never keep secrets from their parents, no matter who tells them to.

That will complete stranger awareness part one for the children in our kids martial arts classes. Our aim is to teach our children how to defend themselves but we recognise that self defence is not all about kicking and punching. Teaching children to make good decisions is a much better option and leads to a more rounded and confident child.