Hey Stepparents,
The month of October is the of Domestic Violence Awareness and National Bullying Prevention.
As you know, recently, I did a few episodes on raising awareness around domestic violence where I and a guest discussed specific examples of what domestic abuse can look like, how it feels and its’ common patterns.
But I want to provide you guys with more tips around important considerations to get clear on for yourself as well as for your children as you teach them about safety in relationships. So, I’m thrilled to be joined by Carrie, a defense and violence prevention expert from Beating Disaster.
Find the show notes for this episode at synergisticstepparenting.com/63.
In this conversation we explore why talk to kids about relationship safety, how to talk to kids about relationship safety, common mental blocks in children’s books on safety and the benefits to you of teaching kids about safety.
Get comfy and settle in for this conversation where she shares insights and anecdotes about how to navigate this tricky terrain with kids. It’ll be worth the listen.
Introducing Carrie
Carrie is a mother and dedicated defense and violence prevention expert. She is a lead instructor for Beating Disaster, a Detroit-based, mom-owned specialty school offering the Mama Bear PREPARED online course. She also offers in-person and online coaching and training on prevention, protection and defense specifically for mothers.
Her journey began almost 25 years ago in martial arts. Unfortunate life experiences led to her passion for teaching karate which evolved into the study of violence prevention, psychology, communication and even bodyguard training to better prepare and empower women and children to avoid and escape the real dangers of the world.
After working in the self-defense industry for over a decade, she discovered a glaring problem: poor information directed towards terror-stricken mothers. Her efforts transitioned into ensuring moms have access to what they really need to know to keep them and their kids safe as well as confidently raise their children to be PREPARED to thrive in today’s world.
Though she still enjoys teaching Kenpo karate, most of her time is spent furthering her learning, sharing information with private groups and at conferences, providing various forms of self-defense and related training, or giving personal instruction and coaching for families with specific safety-related concerns.
Here we go …
>> [4:11] Why teach kids about relationship safety
>> [4:31] How to prepare kids for safety in relationships
>> [7:53] Common mental blocks in children’s books on safety
>> [9:37] The benefit to you of teaching safety concepts to kids
>> [10:00] Carrie’s resources and tools for parents and kids for safety education
Thank you so much for joining us for this conversation about the importance of educating yourself and your kids on relationship safety. In our ever-evolving noisy world, it’s critical to help kids acquire these vital life skills.
The Recap
To recap, we discussed …
- Why talk to kids about relationship safety
- How to talk to kids about relationship safety
- Common mental blocks in children’s books on safety
- The benefits to you of teaching kids about safety
I am grateful to Carrie for highlighting the nuanced considerations that need to be a part of discussions around this crucial subject matter and candidly sharing her struggles that led her to this work.
Action Items
Please share this episode with a stepparent and a divorced parent! By doing so, you’re helping other stepfamilies get helpful tips and helping us with our mission of supporting stepparents, like you, and their blended families to turn family challenges into opportunities to thrive.
Go check out the link to Carrie’s blog post and browse her resources. You can find those links in the show notes under links to Carrie. Choose one thing that you can commit to getting, reviewing, and teaching to your child.
Decide, do you need to review these materials by yourself first or can you review them with your child right away. Then sit down to set aside time on your calendar to put this plan into action. If your child is going to be joining you, involve them in picking and scheduling the times.
I’d love to hear how it goes for you, and what resonated with you from this episode. Do drop me a DM on LinkedIn or Facebook.
Until next time, be well!
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Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate us with 5 stars, and select “Write a Review” then be sure to let me know your favorite thing about the episode.
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Links to Carrie:
Blog post detailing her approved books on self-defense: https://www.beatingdisaster.com/post/keeping-kids-safe
FREEBIE – 5 Days of Emails to Help You Quit Doubting Yourself & Be More Mama Bear PREPARED: https://subscribepage.io/p5JEXk
FREE Facebook Group with Situational Saturdays & Live Q&As on Popular Topics: www.facebook.com/groups/MamaBearPREPARED
