Stranger Danger- Foe or Friend ( Keep your child save all the time!)

Danger! Danger!

We have all been told the tale of the kid who was offered candy by a friendly stranger and was never seen again. The stranger danger mythology is told around the world. Every culture has its versions, and the core of the story relays to a child STAY away from strangers!

The juxtaposition of these various stories in their practical form differs in western vs. non-western societies. In my experience, non-western societies tend not to be as melodramatic about this danger. Kids must be aware of dangers but living in constant fear of " the other" has sadly become the norm.

Thus, the reason it is exhilarating when we leave the west and have Likki interact with kids just being kids. Learning to actively create internal boundaries, while dissecting cues to determine who and where the danger lies. 

Be Aware, and let Boys be Boys

Kids are not in more danger now than before. Unfortunately, we are more exposed to these dangers due to how accessible these incidents have been embedded into our daily lives via technology. Prior to technology, we were told these stories as cautionary deterrence, nowadays we have experiences occurring in real-time that correlate to our daily lives. Thus, this put parents in a hyper-cautionary mood constantly.

Our boys are naturally driven to seek danger and be active, we need to encourage them to engage " the other" safely. 

Likki has been told the importance of being cautious when engaging with "the other". His experiences allowed him to create internal awareness, and led to several tête-à-tête  that has broadened his worldview, and ours. 

We always observe from a distance, and should there be danger (none so far) he knows we will interfere.

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What are ways you encourage your child to explore safely? Love to hear it. Comment or share your story, check out our contributor's section HERE.