Having said this, there does come a day when the people initially responsible for a child's safety welcome a new member to the team: the child. Parents may agonize over whether he or she is ready; they may even delay the day as long as possible, but the day will come. Though it's at the end of a gradual process, your son or daughter will make that walk to school, or to a friend's house, or to the market. The eyes that used to casually take in the sights will have to detect, assess, perhaps even deter danger.
Though no video can replace effective parental protection (of course), I've reviewed many programs aimed at kids. I was most impressed with a series called ''Yello Dyno.'' It is a musically-based educational system that helps children remember important safety information. Yello Dyno himself is a character who sings and dances, and helps encourage confidence in kids. You can see the selection of video and audio tapes at www.yellodyno.com. Let me know what you think. I also suggest taking a look www.childlures.com, run by Ken Wooden, among the nation's most effective advocates for child safety. Another training method to look at is KIDPOWER, which teaches children many important assertiveness and self-defense skills (www.kidpower.org).
