How to express danger

[Queen]

Okay, this is right up there, with the dumbest threads ever started by yours truly:o but...

How do you express/show danger to a child?

This is gonna sound dumb and I know it already does.

How do explain to YOUR child that things are dangerous?
DD loves to run, and yelling at her to stop, or running after her does not help. Today she ran out onto a road:gloomy: and I am lucky I live in a quiet town, but when I caught her (only one step on the road thank god) and yelled at her, she just laughed?

So how to I get it across to her, that it is dangerous?
She does not touch the fire/oven etc she knows they are hot, but this is something I am not sure of?

Any thoughts?

[Billy]

Ooh I don't think this is a stupid question at all!! I have no idea of the answer but I am interested in what others say. :yes:

[neostudded]

I pull them up constantly & tell them what could have happened if they do/did that.for example,

"no slamming doors, you could get your fingers!"
"Look both ways before crossing the road, you could be hit by a car if you dont look"
"If you pull that box It will fall and hit your head Its to high ask me to do it"

With my little brother I give him a time out If he does something anyway thinking it is funny after I tell him that is dangerous.

It really feels like you get no where doing that because they dont seem to care/listen, but they just need to be reminded alot at that age.

[punkbaby]

Good Question all you can do is be ready to grab i guess in dangerous situations. DD knows about the oven etc and its boiling etc, thats her word she uses for things not to touch. As for the road, i feel for you, dd runs like that all the time so much so she is always holding me hand if we go anywhere now. She just takes off at the drop of a hat :( I guess all you can do is preach it to them constantly tell them and be firm with them.Thats the only thing i have ever done and it does sink in, i know when ds got to about 3 he got into the habit of stopping everytime we got to a gutter or driveway and asking if it was ok to cross.....its sunk in with him just not the youngest!

[Queen]

I have been explaining, over and over to STOP when I yell:o but that does not appear to alter her actions.
I have started the STOP at the curb thing, and wait, but I guess it will just take time.

It is just scary to think, they have no concept of danger:gloomy:

[Lirael]

NEVER let her go. my kids just run, and that is why I still use the pram and a harness for DS if we go on the bus(jogger with toddler seat doesnt fit)
I dont get how ppl let their little kids wander along a road without holding their hand at least :confused:

[punkbaby]

I see where your coming from its so scary, i never let go of dd now shes just crazy and runs and thinks its funny :(

I guess just try keep working on it or you could do what i do, now with dd i tell her that shes not coming shopping (or whereever we are going) unless she holds my hand or her older sisters, she seems to hold hands then, its slowly working and i know that older dd wont let go either so i can have a free hand if i need it, well when bubs comes i imagine i will need all the free hands i can get LOL

hopefully someones got some tips! but you can only teach a toddler so much i think

[poshBecks]

Hmm this is a tricky one... usually if I shriek STOP... connor will stop... but Ella... she just runs faster....

Good question... I think I will watch this thread.

[Funkychicken]

How old is your DD? Age plays a big role in this one. Under a certain age and they just don't get it like we do. In fact for many years of childhood they won't get it the way we do. Consequences are a great way for children to learn but in this situation, it isn't possible.
Honestly, vigilance and repeating yourself is probably the best you can do.
Telling her that she might get run over won't make a lot of sense because she won't understand what run over is. But repeating that she could get hurt may make a bit more sense. I don't really think there is a need to show anger though-the message won't be any stronger for it. Just a constant repeat of *insert words such as "No, you can't go on the road"*
Or use a particular tone when you say Dangerous-maybe lower your voice a bit and she will quickly associate this with danger.

The word DON'T is used so often in our lives (I know I use it!) but from what I have read and learnt in the past, children don't hear the DON'T in many sentences. Something like, "Don't run out there" or "Don't slam the door" is usually heard as "Run out there" or "Slam the door". It's just the way children are wired-not them being defiant, they just pick up the rest of the sentence.

[Funkychicken]

Hmm this is a tricky one... usually if I shriek STOP... connor will stop... but Ella... she just runs faster....

Good question... I think I will watch this thread.
This just has to be an Ella thing!:laughing: Mine did and still does the same!

[poshBecks]

The word DON'T is used so often in our lives (I know I use it!) but from what I have read and learnt in the past, children don't hear the DON'T in many sentences. Something like, "Don't run out there" or "Don't slam the door" is usually heard as "Run out there" or "Slam the door". It's just the way children are wired-not them being defiant, they just pick up the rest of the sentence.

Ahhh Interesting :idea:

[SassyMummy]

At first, I'd show DD why it was dangerous. Well, some things anyway.

I would touch the stove/oven, for example, then quickly pull my hand off and go, "OW HOT!" and make a gasping sound, and then do a sad face. I did this for ages.

She KNOWS not to touch it now, I think because I did it for so long, she got the message.

I also shreiked quite a bit. Just a loud, startling kind of noise. SHe usually looked around to see what I was doing before she did the potentially dangerous thing, so I could move in there and tell her "Danger."

I would touch powercords and stuff and do the same thing I did with the oven but say, "OW! DANGER!" instead of hot.

She now likes to tell us what things are hot... like the iron... she knows it's hot, so when someone has it on, she'll go AWAY from it and say, "Hot Hot!"

[Queen]

I try to use STOP as my danger word.

She is now 22 months (ish) and gets most danger oven, power cord, water etc its just the road, I am having issues with.

Thanks for all the suggestions? Anymore:detective:

[Angel333]

I have a 2 year old We live on a busy road whenever we go out the door I always make sure somebody is holding his hand until he gets in the car.About not touching the oven I say in a strong voice DO NOT TOUCH THAT IT WILL HURT YOU or IT'S HOT and make sure he is looking at me.I am forever saying DS BE CAREFUL and he now says to me mummy be careful or he says it to other when there is danger.

[Queen]

I have the oven and things inside under control, its the road and car parks that worry me. I try to hold her hand all the time, it just seems to be the last few days she has pulled away, then ran.
I have decided I will just carry her around, like I used to, until she grasps a little more of the dangerous car concept.

[Chickadee]

You might try teaching her a 'freeze' game. When you shout freeze she has to stop immediately. You can practice this whereever, my dd (3yrs) loves it. The only drawback is that my instinct is still to yell stop, not freeze, so you have to retrain yourself at the same time you're teaching your kids.

[Cordelia]

I'm not an expert because I only have a little bub but we did a course and the lady said to have a "stop" game where stop meant that they froze. So if you see them going towards something they shouldn't you yell "STOP" and then go up to them and say "no, blah blah blah"