TALKING ABOUT TOUCHING
Sample Lessons
Lesson 6: The Always Ask First Rule-Always Getting Permission Before Going with Someone
Bold type indicates what the teacher says during the lesson.
Concept
An important people safety rule is the Always Ask First Rule: Always ask your parents or the person in charge first if someone wants you to go somewhere with him or her.
Objective
Children will be able to: Describe appropriate responses to being asked to go somewhere with someone.
Materials
You will need the following:
- Puppet
- Copies of Take-Home Letter 4: The Always Ask First Rule
Notes to the Teacher
Most young children know that they should not go anywhere with strangers, but they may willingly go with someone they know. It is important for children to learn to ask their parents or the "person in charge" for permission before they go anywhere with anyone. This strategy protects them from potentially dangerous situations and helps parents know exactly where their children are.
This lesson also reinforces the idea that it is okay to ask parents/caregivers for help in decision making. You may need to spend extra time with the children to help them identify which grown-up they should ask for permission. The person in charge would be any other person in a caretaking role, such as a foster parent, grandparent, aunt, or babysitter.
Warm-Up/Review
In our last safety lesson, we talked about what to do if you are lost. Who remembers what to do if you are lost in a grocery store? A park? A mall?
Story and Discussion
Today we are going to learn a new safety rule about what to do if someone wants you to go somewhere with him or her. The Always Ask First Rule is: Always ask your parents or the person in charge first if someone wants you to go somewhere with him or her. The person in charge is whoever is taking care of you at the time. It might be your babysitter, your big brother, your teacher, your grandmother, your aunt, or your mom or dad.
Now let's practice our new rule. Let's pretend that I asked you to go to the park with me. You might say, "I have to ask my grandma first."
Let's see what is happening to William and talk about how to use this rule.
Show picture. William is playing in his front yard when his neighbor, Tom, drives up on his new motorcycle. William loves motorcycles. Tom asks him if he wants to go for a ride around the block.
- Do you think William wants to go? (Yes.)
- What should he say? ("I have to ask my parents first.")
- What if Tom says that he's sure William's parents won't mind and that he has a helmet for William to wear? (William should still ask first.)
- What if someone William doesn't know offers to take him to the store and buy him a treat? (He should still ask first.)
Skill Practice
Use the following situations involving people children know to give them a chance to practice the Always Ask First Rule. The puppet can play the people asking the questions.
Model for children. Pretend that I am a girl/boy. My neighbor wants me to come into her house to play. I would say, "I have to ask my dad first."
Now let's play a game where you practice what to say when someone asks you to do something. Tell me whom you would ask.
- Pretend that I am a man you know. Would you like to come into my house to see my new kittens? ("I have to ask my mom/dad/babysitter/grandma first.")
- Pretend that I am your uncle. Would you like to go for a ride with me in my new car? ("I have to ask my mom/dad/babysitter/grandma first.")
- Pretend that I am a woman you know. Would you like to come into my house for a snack? ("I have to ask my mom/dad/babysitter/grandma first.")
- Pretend that I am someone you don't know. How would you like to go to the park with me? ("I have to ask my mom/dad/babysitter/grandma first.")
Summary
Let's review our new safety rule. Always ask your parents or the person in charge first if someone wants you to go somewhere with him or her.