Safe & Sound
Safe & Sound is an easy and free 21-day program for parents, grandparents, and caregivers. It takes just minutes a day and allows adults to learn how to protect their child from abuse. This program offers daily activities and content to safeguard your child and strengthen your bond!
DAY 1 - OPEN COMMUNICATION
We're kicking off Safe & Sound by talking about the one thing that best protects kids against child abuse: COMMUNICATION. And we can already hear you through the screen asking, “How do I do that?” We've adapted some strategies—courtesy of Dr. Amy Stoeber—to help parents and caregivers really TALK with children of any age.
DAY 2 - BODY BOUNDARIES
As a parent, grandparent or caregiver, you've probably had lots of safety talks with your kids—such as looking both ways before you cross the street, asking permission before you pet a strange dog, biking with a helmet on, or calling and checking in when you get to a friend's house. Day 2, we're going to focus on a very personal kind of safety talk. It's a talk that kids need to hear from the time they're little all the way through their teenage years.
DAY 3 - CONSENT & HOW TO TALK ABOUT IT
Kids don't tend to have a lot of control over daily life—adults make a lot of the rules and serve as authority figures.
But there's one area where kids need control. Where they can make the rules. And, giving them control in this one special area can help them stay safe.
DAY 4 - HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
We all aspire to raise healthy kids. You might equate health with daily exercise, eating fresh fruits and veggies, or just getting outside in nature. Day 4, we're going to look at another aspect of being healthy. It's something we model to kids everyday, and if we can show kids what's healthy, we can protect them from abuse.
DAY 5 - YOUR CHANGING ROLE
Day 5 begins with a topic that may tug at your heart: how do you protect your child when they no longer seem to need you? Parenting, grand parenting, or caregiving is a journey. Every day, you strive to meet the needs of your child, and those needs change year by year. But even when your child no longer seems to need you...they still do. And you can still play an important role in keeping them safe.
DAY 6 - HACKERS & SCAMMERS
The internet is a tricky space. We adults can be very good at spotting danger in the real world, but the online world can be more deceptive. Kids can have an even harder time spotting trickery and deception online. Day 6, we're going to learn how to spot bad actors on the internet and teach our kids to do the same.
DAY 7 - CYBERBULLYING
Yesterday we looked at the bad actors on the internet: the hackers and scammers that can trick and endanger your child. Today we're looking at an internet danger that's closer to home. We're talking about your child's friends, classmates, team mates, and even relatives. These individuals may engage in a form of online abuse that can be especially devastating to your child. It can sink your kid's self confidence, overwhelm them with stress, and impact them into adulthood.
DAY 8 - ONLINE GAMING & SOCIAL MEDIA
Kids can spend a lot of time on social media or connecting with friends through online gaming. There's a lot to be said about the harms and benefits of socializing online—but that's a different conversation. Day 8, we're going to focus on a specific safety practice to help protect kids in these social spaces. By paying attention to just one thing, you can keep kids safe from hackers, scammers and others who might do them harm.
DAY 9 - INAPPROPRIATE POSTS
Kids don't always exercise good judgment when it comes to posting and texting. Sometimes the posts kids send can be wildly inappropriate. And these kinds of posts can contribute to unhealthy relationships or provide fodder for cyberbullying. How do we help kids use technology wisely, kindly, and safely? Teaching kids a simple litmus test can help them understand what's appropriate and what's not.
DAY 10 - ONLINE PREDATORS
Day 10, we're turning our attention to the most extreme threat on the internet. We've talked about scammers and hackers...but there's a special class of "bad actors" who are even more dangerous, and kids are their targets. Learn how they operate so you're one step closer to protecting your child.
DAY 11 - LEARN THE FACTS ABOUT SEXUAL ABUSE
Day 11, we're going to take a hard look at one of the most common forms of child abuse. Luckily, this kind of abuse can be preventable! So Day 11, we're going to look at what parents get wrong about abuse—and take a few minutes to get it right.
DAY 12 - MINIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
Abuse thrives in secret, and typically happens in hidden spaces out of sight. You can protect your child and thwart potential abusers by looking hard at the spaces your child inhabits. You can also set rules and boundaries to protect your child from high-risk situations.
DAY 13 - THE KEY TACTIC CHILD ABUSERS USE
Child abusers use a wide variety of tactics—manipulation, shame, blame, threats, and more. But nearly every child abuser relies on ONE IMPORTANT tactic to shield their actions and keep the cycle of abuse going. The good news: you can safeguard your child against this common tactic.
DAY 14 - COULD YOU RECOGNIZE ABUSE?
We've talked a lot about how to prevent abuse, and those prevention tips are key to protecting your child. But unfortunately, child abuse is still happening in our community, and those kids need our help too. As adults, it's up to us to end child abuse! And you can do your part by learning how to recognize the signs, and ask open-ended questions.
DAY 15 - REPORT TO SAVE A CHILD
We said it yesterday, and it bears repeating: it's up to us to end child abuse. So if the day comes when you suspect a child is experiencing abuse, it's imperative that you act. A child's life could depend on it. If you're not sure what to do, never fear. We'll walk you through it.