Monday, January 20, 2014
Friday, January 03, 2014
"wise as serpents and innocent as doves."
Probably the makings for a whole curriculum but here is one article.
[NY times article on sexual predators who target children] This is about men and boys but it applies to either gender as predator or victim.
If you're a parent, if you work with children, if your older kids babysit, etc, etc ... this is an important read ... Not to make you paranoid ... but to make us ever-vigilant. It's not strangers we need to worry about.
It's too obvious to say "take note when relationships become secretive or inappropriate" unless you're too busy to notice.
Stay involved and vigilant.
Keep listening. Ask questions.
No secrets! We used to tell our kids the only secret from mom & dad is a Christmas or birthday present.
This may sound at odds with what many Christian parents believe - but teach your children to say, "No!" There's a time and a place for it. If your child never says "No," or can't say no when they need to - worry!
Know your kids. Know where they are, who they're with - even as teachers - know where every child is, who they're with and what they're doing - every moment that they're in your care. I like open public spaces. I like classroom and office doors with windows.
I know that in this day and age most churches have policies in place to protect children. Bravo! Nobody wants a witch hunt or to keep kids from rich friendships with trustworthy teens and adults of in the extended family of a faith community but, sad to say, there are sheep and there are wolves.
Teachers have a responsibility to either give parents (and children) information they need or to point them to those who can; not to be paranoid but to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves."
[NY times article on sexual predators who target children] This is about men and boys but it applies to either gender as predator or victim.
If you're a parent, if you work with children, if your older kids babysit, etc, etc ... this is an important read ... Not to make you paranoid ... but to make us ever-vigilant. It's not strangers we need to worry about.
It's too obvious to say "take note when relationships become secretive or inappropriate" unless you're too busy to notice.
Stay involved and vigilant.
Keep listening. Ask questions.
No secrets! We used to tell our kids the only secret from mom & dad is a Christmas or birthday present.
This may sound at odds with what many Christian parents believe - but teach your children to say, "No!" There's a time and a place for it. If your child never says "No," or can't say no when they need to - worry!
Know your kids. Know where they are, who they're with - even as teachers - know where every child is, who they're with and what they're doing - every moment that they're in your care. I like open public spaces. I like classroom and office doors with windows.
I know that in this day and age most churches have policies in place to protect children. Bravo! Nobody wants a witch hunt or to keep kids from rich friendships with trustworthy teens and adults of in the extended family of a faith community but, sad to say, there are sheep and there are wolves.
Teachers have a responsibility to either give parents (and children) information they need or to point them to those who can; not to be paranoid but to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves."
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