Success Story:
Giving Kids a Voice
Lori Bruce, Director
Children's Corner at Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Newton, MA
"Our children are faced with safety decisions all through their lives," she says, which is why she feels the program is so beneficial. "It breaks it down into saying to yourself, 'Does this feel right? Is this what people normally tell me?' and having this pattern of, 'Okay, this doesn't feel right. I'm going to go to an adult or somebody I trust to talk to them about it,' whether they were told it was okay to ride a bike without a helmet, or they could use matches, or whatever. It simplifies those decisions, which is what young children really need."
But for Bruce, the program has benefits beyond teaching safety skills. "It's been incredible, and not just for learning safety. It gives us a format for children to sit in circle time and listen to what other children have to say, to realize there's a reason we have these respect guidelines in circle time, like raising your hand. It just reinforces all of the natural things you want to teach in preschool, and then some."
"When you implement the TALKING ABOUT TOUCHING program, it just reinforces your sense of community, reinforces friendship, and empowers kids to have a voice. It truly gives them a voice."