It’s not always an easy topic to cover with children, but stranger safety should be tops on our list of must-cover items with our children.
Today’s just 1 book contributor has written a book that will help caregivers with this difficult task, and the author shares the heartbreaking event in her life that led her to writing this book.
about the author: Melissa Harker Ridenour, formerly a teacher and librarian, is now a freelance writer and children’s book author. She has published essays, poetry, magazine articles, and web articles as well. She believes in the power of words. “Words define us,” she contends. “Our use of words, in both spoken and written communication, is often the first and most formidable impression that we make.”
As a former teacher, she has mentored students in every capacity of their educational development. As a mother and grandmother, she shares concerns with all parents for the safety of children. Melissa’s love of children and her concern for their safety and welfare is the motivating factor behind the development of her book, What Would You Do? A Kid’s Guide to Staying Safe in a World of Strangers.
Melissa offers workshops to schools and other educational institutions or organizations. The workshops reinforce for children, in a fun and creative way, some of the information and strategies presented in What Would You Do? A Kid’s Guide to Staying Safe in a World of Strangers.
An alumnus of West Virginia University with a Master’s degree in English, Education, and Library Science, Melissa resides happily in Morgantown, WV with her husband and family.
Melissa has offered to give away one copy of her book to one lucky teach mama reader this week! Thank you Melissa!
Here’s how
- just 1 book: author guest post by Melissa Ridenour
There are No Monsters Under Your Bed, by Melissa Ridenour
I am a retired teacher, freelance writer and children’s book author. Most importantly, I am a parent and grandparent with genuine concerns for the safety and well-being of my own children, grandchildren, and for all children.
Parenthood involves, not only loving our children unconditionally, but also assuming the responsibility for protecting them from any kind of harm and raising them to be healthy, happy adults, and, of course, reassuring them at bedtime that there are no monsters under the bed. How can we parents make our children feel safe and secure and, indeed, protect them from monsters out there in the real world? Most of us, as parents, learn as we go, do the best we can, and just hope for the best.
Parenthood can be frightening and rift with anxiety too. Having children is like having your heart forever walking around outside your body – facing whatever dangers that may cross their paths along the way. We parents instinctively try to shield our children, but we can’t always be with them. That is why it’s necessary to empower children to take a pro-active role in keeping themselves safe as well. My book, What Would You Do? A Kid’s Guide to Staying Safe in a World of Strangers, published by Headline Kids in May, empowers children in just that capacity.
Sometimes people ask me why I wrote a children’s book on such a subject. My motivations are varied, beginning with a traumatic memory from my childhood. When my best friend and I were in the fifth grade, I awoke on a Monday morning to my mother explaining to me that I wouldn’t see my friend in school anymore. She explained to me, as gently as she could, that my friend had been abducted, raped, and murdered the evening before. That was a difficult thing for me to understand at that age. But the trauma stuck with me thereafter. As a child, when I would walk to school, I would have to pass the spot where my friend’s body was discovered. I remember for the longest time running, terrified, past that spot each time. Adding to the tragedy of the story is the fact that her mother, the next year, committed suicide. She was never able to cope with the loss of her daughter, especially in such a violent way.
That haunting memory has always remained with me, especially when I became a mother myself. One of my greatest fears as a young mother, and even now that my children are grown with children of their own, is that something similar could happen to them. That fear, combined with the alarming statistics regarding missing & exploited children were motivations for writing a book that would teach and empower children to stay safe, and to help parents learn how to keep children safe from abduction or predator harm.
My book deals with protecting children from abduction from strangers. According to the most recent statistics, 79% percent of abductions are committed by strangers and 21% by acquaintances. The concept of “stranger” is difficult for children to understand. Children sometimes hear their parents use the phrase, “stranger danger”. That phrase should be retired. Such a phrase can make children feel as though all strangers are bad when, in fact, most people, including most strangers are good. But some people, including some strangers aren’t so good. It’s impossible for anyone, especially children, to know with absolute certainty who is good and who is bad. That is why the first chapter of my book explains to children the concept of strangers in a very kid-friendly way and teaches them a method for determining whom they should and should not trust.
I recently taught the stranger safety portion of a safety day event held for children at a 4-H camp. Part of my stranger safety lesson included role playing scenarios involving common predator lures. What I learned is that children, unfortunately, are incredibly trusting, naïve, and have a sense of invincibility. That is why it is important that my book be a shared experience between parent and child / teacher and students. Parents and teachers can help their children practice the strategies from the book that the children need to remember to stay safe.
What Would You Do? A Kid’s Guide to Staying Safe in a World of Strangers is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Follett, Ingrams, and Baker & Taylor. Learn more about the book at www.AuthorMelissaHarkerRidenour.com. Subscribe to my Child Safety Blog at http://childsafety-melissa.blogspot.com.
GIVEAWAY: A signed copy of Melissa Ridenour’s book, What Would You Do? A Kid’s Guide to Staying Safe in a World of Strangers
Do you want to win signed copy of Melissa Ridenour’s book, What Would You Do? A Kid’s Guide to Staying Safe in a World of Strangers?
- All you have to do is leave a comment here (with email address!) explaining why you need a copy of this book!
For extra entries:
- Tweet this: Win a signed copy of @MelissaHarkerRi book on @teachmama — just in time for the holidays! http://wp.me/p1NAxy-1kQ #weteach #kidlit #ece
- Share this post on your Facebook page–very easy!
- Share this post with a friend (just tell me who you shared it with!)
- Pin this post(or another favorite teach mama post!) on Pinterest! (Use ‘pin it!’ button below post and just tell me what you pinned!)
By entering this giveaway, you are demonstrating your understanding of and compliance with the Official Sweepstakes Rules.
This contest ends on Monday, November 21, 2011 at midnight ET. Winner will be chosen by ‘And the Winner is. . .’ and will be notified on or around 11/21/11. Winner must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected. All Official Sweepstakes Rules apply.
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IF you’d like to contribute to our ‘just 1 book’ feature, please send an email to [email protected]
fyi: This is an unsponsored post, and Melissa Ridenour has agreed to send a signed copy of her book to one winner.
Lori
I am a teacher for a K-3 school and would be interested in sharing this with the staff there.
Becki
I need this book to help my own children and my foster children to stay out of harm’s way…
Michelle Breum
Hi,
This post brought tears to my eyes. I have explained to my children that there are some bad people out there and gave the talk about never going with someone you don’t know or being tricked by finding a puppy etc. I had a scare once when my oldest son was five. We were at a park with his bike. He took off and rode pretty far away when I was attending to his younger twin siblings. I looked up, notice he was gone, and saw a weird painted windowless van driving away. It was awful. I took off running and then spotted him at the other end of the park.
I would like a copy of this book. I will read it to my kids. I will led it to my best friend who very much worries about strangers and something happening to her only child. Then I’ll give it to my children’s school counselor. She does an amazing job and meets regularly with classes. She often reads books to them. I’m sure she’ll love this book!
Please put me down for three entries. I’m going to share this on my We Teach Children to Read Facebook Page, and share this post in an email to my children’s school counselor.
Michelle Breum
I forgot to leave my email. pacrapacma@gmail(dot)com
JANE
I have a 5 year old son who is fearless. This is usually a good thing. However, this topic is one we need where we need to have a little fear. I would love to share the book with him and our neighbors.
[email protected]
S C
This looks like a great book, but it appears to be written for parents of elementary school children. Do you know if there is a version aimed at preschoolers? My DD walked away with another child she met at the library yesterday – I need to start addressing stranger danger, but don’t know where to start…
amy
I do not know!! I’ll defer to the author for this one and get back to you!
Cat
This sounds like a great book. I would love to have it to read with my five children, as well as my nieces and nephews, and friends.
[email protected]
Joella
I would love to have (need) this book because I have struggled with when to teach my children to be friendly and when to teach them to be cautious but not rude. We live in a public setting year around at a camp and I struggle with what and when to teach about safety.
Joella
I shared this on facebook.
Joella
I also shared on twitter.
Joella
I also shared with my sister/friend Heidi.
Bette Vaughan
I would read this to my four young grandchildren.
[email protected]
Chantell Mendez
The fear that this sets in my heart is grand. i have great kids who do think they are invisible. The other that is petrified of everything and everyone. To be able to balance to know what to say and how to say would be great. Plus sharing it with my girl scout troop will be a topic now!
Heidi
I’d like to use this book for my daughter, niece and nephew. I also have several friends I’ve discussed this issue with that I would recommend it to.
Thanks for sharing!
Heidi
I pinned this post on Pinterest!
Heidi
I shared this post with my sister Cheryl.
Kaira Little
I need to get started on these conversations with my elder one. I would love a copy of the book
Kaira