Safely Ever After- PLEASE READ (and giveaway)

 Now that most of our children are back in school, I wanted to post some reminders for parents and kids to talk about. About "strangers", their bodies, and keeping them safe. It is so important to keep lines of communication open with our children. Let them know it's OK to talk to us, that it's OK to let us know if they feel "funny" around/about someone- for whatever reason. Let them know what's OK and what's not OK, because how would they know if we don't tell them? Remind them that we will keep them safe. That we will also give them the tools and knowledge they need to be careful and stay safe. That we will give them the confidence and security to come to us. That we will listen to them.

  I heard about/came across Safely Ever After through a post on a forum. I went to the website and just loved the resource. I contacted founder Pattie Fitzgerald, let her know I wanted to post some information from her site onto Give Peas a Chance here. The list below is from her site. She said that would be fine, and offered a giveaway/review of her book NO Trespassing- This Is My BODY! I, of course said yes, what an important review/giveaway.

When the book arrived, DH read it first. He said it had good information and was well written. The only thing he said we needed to really discuss in depth was one part of the book that talks about "Thumbs up" and "Thumbs down" touches. Touches that are OK,  and touches that are not, that make us feel "yucky". I read the book over also before we shared with our girls. I also think it's VERY well written, it opens up lines of communication. Written in a way children can understand.

 When we read the book with our girls, we got to the part where it says that a "Thumbs down" touch makes you feel yucky or scared. That it gives you the "Uh-Oh" feeling. We talked to the girls a bit about that, that no matter what they are feeling, no one is allowed to touch their bathing suit areas and they don't touch other people/kids there either. The book does expand on the "Uh-Oh" feeling and such. We just wanted to make it clear that they should let us know if they are ever confused about a feeling. We asked the girls questions about the book. How they felt about it. If they understood what the book was about. Even Pixie, who is four understood.

The parent's guide in the back contains ideas for proactive parenting and teaching. It also contains valuable information that all parents should read when teaching children to speak up for themselves, to value their bodies, and to feel secure when speaking up.

This is such an important book, I wish you all could have a copy (Please make sure you enter to win one below, and share this list below). Please read the list below over, go to the website. Read it over, so much information and tips to help us keep our kids safe. I pray none of us will ever need to put these tips to use. But let's learn and teach them to our children. Let's be proactive.

 Let's empower our children, and ourselves! Let's keep our kids safe!

What are steps you take to keep your children or children you know safe?


Thank you Pattie Fitzgerald, founder of Safely Ever After for letting me post this. You can follow the link below this post to the website. It has more tools and information on keeping kids safe.

Because Knowledge is Power…

1. REMIND YOUR CHILDREN:  SAFE GROWNUPS DON’T ASK KIDS FOR HELP.
2. NEVER LEAVE YOUNG CHILDREN UNSUPERVISED…  NOT EVEN FOR A MINUTE.
3. REPLACE THE WORD “STRANGER” WITH “TRICKY PERSON”:
IT’S NOT WHAT SOMEONE LOOKS LIKE, IT’S WHAT THEY SAY OR WANT TO DO WITH A CHILD THAT MAKES THEM UNSAFE OR “TRICKY”.
4. A TRICKY PERSON CAN BE SOMEONE YOU KNOW WELL, DON’T KNOW AT ALL, OR KNOW JUST A LITTLE BIT… LIKE YOUR MAIL CARRIER OR THE ICE CREAM MAN.  ANYONE WHO TRIES TO GET A CHILD TO BREAK THEIR SAFETY RULES OR HURT THEIR BODY IS NOT OKAY.
5. LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD.  IF THEY DON’T WANT TO BE AROUND A PARTICULAR PERSON, SUCH AS A BABYSITTER, RELATIVE, OR FAMILY FRIEND, DON’T FORCE THEM.  THEY MAY BE GETTING A “RED FLAG” SIGNAL THAT YOU ARE UNAWARE OF.
6. PRACTICE PERSONAL SAFETY STRATEGIES WITH YOUR KIDS: WHAT WOULD THEY DO IF THEY WERE LOST IN A STORE?  WHAT WOULD THEY SAY IF SOMEONE ASKED THEM FOR DIRECTIONS OR ASSISTANCE?
7. DO NOT WRITE YOUR CHILD’S NAME ON THE OUTSIDE OF ANY PERSONAL BELONGINGS SUCH AS A BACKPACK OR JACKET.
8. OLDER CHILDREN SHOULD ALWAYS USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM WHENEVER AND WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
9. “THE UH-OH FEELING”: TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS AND LET YOUR CHILD KNOW IT’S OKAY FOR THEM TO TRUST THEIRS.
10. ESTABLISH A STRAIGHTFORWARD FAMILY RULE:
NO SECRETS ALLOWED, ESPECIALLY IF IT INVOLVES ANOTHER ADULT.
11. LET CHILDREN DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES HOW THEY WANT TO EXPRESS AFFECTION.  DO NOT FORCE THEM TO HUG OR KISS ANOTHER PERSON.
12. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR KIDS.   CHILDREN WHO ARE STARVED FOR ATTENTION CAN BE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO A PREDATOR’S TRICKS.
13. VOLUNTEER AT YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL OR OTHER ACTIVITIES. KNOW WHO THE PEOPLE ARE WHO ARE INTERACTING WITH YOUR CHILDREN.
14. DEVELOP STRONG COMMUNICATION SKILLS WITH YOUR CHILD SO THAT THEY WILL FEEL SAFE COMING TO YOU IF SOMETHING IS BOTHERING THEM.
15. TEACH SAFETY CONCEPTS IN A LOVING, EASY-GOING MANNER. SCARE TACTICS CAN MAKE A CHILD FEARFUL AND ARE NOT NECESSARY.

Copied from Safely Ever After. Check out their site! 

Safely Every After on YOUTUBE

Buy the book on Amazon

Safely Ever After on Twitter 

Safely Every After Blog 

Facebook group

 Open to US residents, 18 years or older. ( I apologize to my Canadian/overseas friends, the rules for giveaways to Canada are different than here in the US.)

Read all rules HERE. Entering this giveaway
means you have read and AGREE with them.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free sample/s of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. All pictures are from the companies site, unless noted.
More giveaways on GPAC found HERE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway