Jimmie recently posted a blog entry on how to deal with unwanted attention that foreign children receive in China. Her advice got me thinking about similar issues we have been dealing with here in America.

Our children are very friendly and outgoing. In the past, we taught them to respect adults and to always answer when you are spoken to, but recently we have had to rethink things. 

There are many times when complete strangers will engage my children in conversation, offer them candy (while I'm standing there and without asking me first), ask them for hugs, or even ask them if they want to go home with them!!!! And my children don't think twice about who this person is. As the saying goes, "They've never met a stranger."  Yet, while these people may be well meaning (even if they are rather thoughtless),  not everyone has good intentions. Not all adults are worthy of respect.

I've seen that my reaction to these incidents has given my children the wrong idea. By smiling  at these "friendly" strangers, I've taught my children that it is OK to take things from strangers, to let them touch you, even to go with them if they want to take you somewhere. I ought to be reacting with indignation. After all, this person just threatened to kidnap my child!!!

We need to be teaching our children to set boundaries. We need to tell them it's OK to avoid uncomfortable situations.  Although our goal should be to be polite if possible, sometime situations call for a bit of rudeness. The safety of our children is worth a few hurt feelings.