How and What to teach kids about strangers

Lately we have been talking about strangers (i.e.. people we don't know are strangers) and people we know - and I have been telling them that they need to stay with people they know and not go off with a stranger. So, basically I haven't scared them, just have let them know that families stay together and we don't go with strangers. They get the concept, but I would like to start teaching them a little more without scaring them, I think someone mentioned on here awhile back a certain dvd or program that works for kids to help me and them with this concept without scaring me or them too much!
I have a friend who was so paranoid that she scared her son so much that for 2yrs from the time he was 6-8yrs old he slept on a mattress in his parents bedroom because he was so scared someone was going to abduct him! She sent him to a counsellor and within 2wks he was back in his own bedroom, but I would liked to avoid this scenario all together.

 

I'm glad you asked because this is something I've been wondering about too. My boys were very shy at first and I really worked to try to get them comfortable around others...encouraging them to smile and say hi to people who greet them. Now I worry about the opposite. I hope someone has some good suggestions.

This isn't real official advice but my boys have a Bernstein Bears video they got this year and it has an episode on it about strangers. It was actually pretty good. LOL. Momma Bear described people like a bushel of apples...most of them are good but you might find a couple bad ones in there so you just have to be careful. She even went on to say that an apple may look good on the outside but it might be rotten inside. Crazy I know to get advice from a cartoon but hey...it might not just help!

Good luck and I hope more respond with good suggestions!

 

I know at my kids preschool they've talked about stranger danger. At this point, I've just told them that it's nice to say hi to people but you only go with Mommy, Daddy, aunts and uncles or when on a class trip/at school stay with your classmates and teachers. I just say it's for their safety and our peace of mind. When they are older, I'll get into it a little more.

 

I'm not worried about it yet... my kids are VERY VERY shy around strangers.

 

I was going to suggest the bearanstain bears toO