Strands C and D: Self-Regulation and Well-Being; Belonging and Contributing · Me, My Feelings and My CommunityFeeling Safe Online and In Person
C16.4 C15.1About 20 minutes
Learning goals- I can notice my uh-oh feeling.
- I know what to do if something on a screen makes me feel unsafe: stop, flip it over, tell.
- I can keep my private information private.
- I know what to do if I get lost.
- I can name my trusted grown-ups.
Words to know
uh-oh feeling
A funny, worried feeling inside that tells you something might not be safe.
screen
A tablet, phone, computer or TV.
online
Using the internet on a screen, like watching videos, playing games or video-calling family.
private information
Things about you that only your grown-ups should share, like your full name, your address, your school and photos of you.
trusted grown-up
An adult you know who keeps you safe and listens to you.
Your body has an alarm
Grown-up, read this part out loud.
Have you ever had a funny feeling in your tummy? Maybe your heart beat fast, your hands got sweaty, or you just felt "uh-oh" inside. 😟
That uh-oh feeling is like an alarm in your body. It tells you: "Something might not be safe. Get help!"
Today we'll learn what to do when you get the uh-oh feeling at the park, at the store, and on a screen.
Remember the safety steps
In person, you already know the 3 safety steps:
- Say NO in a strong voice. ✋
- Get away. 🏃
- Tell a trusted grown-up. 🗣️
You will not get in trouble for telling. If the first grown-up doesn't help, keep telling until someone does.
Feeling safe on a screen 📱
Lots of children watch shows, play games or video-call family on a tablet, phone or computer. That can be fun! Here are the screen safety rules:
- Use screens with a grown-up close by.
- Ask before you tap. Ask a grown-up before you click on something new, download a game, or buy anything.
- Keep private things private. Don't tell your full name, your address or your school, or send photos, to anyone online unless your grown-up says it's okay.
- People online may not be who they say they are. Only chat with people your grown-up knows and says are okay.
If something on a screen gives you the uh-oh feeling, like a scary video, a picture that makes you feel yucky, or a message from someone you don't know:
- Stop. Take your hands off. ✋
- Flip it over. Turn the screen face down, or close it. 🔄
- Tell a trusted grown-up. 🗣️
It is never your fault, and you won't be in trouble for telling.
If you get lost
Sometimes children get separated from their grown-up, at a store, a fair or the beach. If that happens:
- Stop and stay where you are. Your grown-up will be looking for you. If you walk around, you are harder to find.
- Look for a safe helper close by: a store worker with a name tag, a police officer 👮, or a mom or dad with children.
- Say who you are: "I'm lost. My name is ___. My grown-up's name is ___." If you know your grown-up's phone number, say it too.
Never leave the place with someone you don't know.
My helping hand
Trace your hand on paper. On each finger, draw or write one trusted grown-up you can tell, like a parent, a grandparent, an aunt, your teacher, or your early childhood educator.
Try to have people at home and outside your home. Then you always have five people you can go to! ✋
Just for funWhy did the computer go to the snack table?
It wanted a byte! 💻
Worked exampleLet's practise: uh-oh on the tablet
Noor is watching a cartoon on the tablet. A new video starts by itself. It has a scary monster that makes her feel yucky. Then a box pops up: "You won a prize! Type your name and address!" What should Noor do?
- Notice: Noor's tummy feels uh-oh. That's her body's alarm.
- Stop: She takes her hands off. She does not type anything.
- Flip it over: She turns the tablet face down.
- Tell: "Dad, a scary video came on, and a box asked for my address."
- Dad helps: Dad says, "Thank you for telling me. You did the right thing." He closes the video and the box.
Stop, flip it over, tell. Noor kept her private information private and got help. She was not in trouble.
Hands-on activitySafety practice play
You need: paper, crayons, and a stuffed animal.
- Helping hand: Trace your hand and fill each finger with a trusted grown-up.
- Who am I? Practise saying your first and last name, and your grown-up's name. If you're ready, learn your grown-up's phone number. (Singing it to a tune like "Twinkle, Twinkle" helps!)
- Okay or uh-oh? Grown-up, describe a screen moment. Child, say "okay" or "uh-oh", and show stop, flip, tell for the uh-oh ones:
- Grandma sends a video of her new puppy. (okay)
- A scary video starts by itself. (uh-oh)
- A game asks you to type your address. (uh-oh)
- Someone you don't know sends you a message. (uh-oh)
- Lost game: Give the stuffed animal a paper name tag; it's the "store worker". Child, pretend you are lost: freeze, find the helper, and say, "I'm lost. My name is ___."
Talk about it: "Who is on your helping hand? What does your uh-oh feeling feel like?"
Your turn
1Show me where you feel the uh-oh feeling in your body.
Answers will vary: the tummy, the chest, a fast heartbeat, sweaty hands. Every body is a little different.
2What are the 3 safety steps if you feel unsafe in person?
Say no, get away, tell a trusted grown-up.
3A scary video comes on the tablet. Show me what you do.
Stop (hands off), flip it over (turn it face down), and tell a trusted grown-up.
4A game asks you to type your address. Should you do it?
No. Your address is private information. Ask your grown-up first.
5You get lost at the grocery store. What is the first thing you do?
Stop and stay where you are. Then look for a safe helper close by, like a store worker with a name tag, and say your name.
6Name two trusted grown-ups.
Answers will vary. Examples: mom, dad, grandma, my aunt, my teacher, my early childhood educator. Look for real adults your child knows well.
More practice: warm-up
1Should you use a tablet with a grown-up close by?
2Is your home address private information?
Yes. Keep it private online.
3Say your first name and your last name.
Look for: your child's full name, said clearly.
4If something gives you the uh-oh feeling and you tell, will you get in trouble?
No. Telling is the right thing to do.
5Show me how you flip a screen over.
Look for: gently turning the device face down (or closing the laptop or cover).
More practice: on your own
1Someone you don't know sends a message in a game: "Hi! What's your name? Where do you live?" What do you do?
Don't answer. Stop, flip it over, and tell a grown-up. People online may not be who they say they are.
2You are lost at the mall. Who is the safer helper to ask?
🅰️ A store worker with a name tag
🅱️ A stranger out in the parking lot
🅰️ A store worker with a name tag. Stay inside, close to where you got lost. Don't go out to the parking lot.
3Grandma calls on a video call, and your grown-up says it's okay to talk. Is that safe?
Yes. You know Grandma, and your grown-up said it's okay.
4Why should you ask a grown-up before you tap on something new or download a game?
It might cost money, show something that is not for kids, or ask for private information. A grown-up can check first.
5You tell a grown-up something made you feel unsafe, but they are busy and don't listen. What do you do?
Keep telling. Tell them again, or tell another trusted grown-up from your helping hand.
Challenge
1A box pops up: "You won a free puppy! Click here!" Is it real? What do you do?
It is probably a trick. Don't click. Tell a grown-up. Real prizes don't pop up on a game.
2Your friend shows you a video on his tablet that gives you the uh-oh feeling. He says, "Don't tell!" What do you do?
Say "I don't want to watch that," walk away, and tell a trusted grown-up. We don't keep secrets about things that make us feel unsafe.
3Why is it a good idea to stay in one place when you are lost?
Your grown-up is looking for you. If you stay put, you're easier to find. Walking around could take you farther away.
Quiz
1. A scary video comes on the tablet. What do you do?
2. Which one is private information to keep private online?
3. You are lost in a store. Who is a safe helper to ask?
4. What is the uh-oh feeling?
5. Will you get in trouble for telling a grown-up that you felt unsafe?
Big idea: Children learn to recognize when they feel unsafe, online or in person, and how to get help (C16.4), and to know when and how to ask an adult for help (C15.1). This lesson builds on the "say no, get away, tell" steps from Healthy Habits and Staying Safe.
How to help at home:
- Keep devices in shared rooms, use them together, and turn on parental controls and kid-safe settings.
- Teach stop, flip it over, tell, and promise that your child will never lose screen time or be punished for telling you about something they saw. Fear of losing the tablet is the most common reason children stay quiet.
- Practise full name, your name, and your phone number. Before outings, point out who the safe helpers are ("See the workers in the blue shirts?").
- Make the helping hand together and include adults outside your home.
- Canada's 24-Hour Movement Guidelines suggest no more than 1 hour a day of screen time for children aged 3 to 4, and no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time for children 5 and older.
If something happens online: If anyone online asks your child for photos, personal information, or to keep a secret, stay calm, praise your child for telling, keep a record of what you can (usernames, links and messages; do not save, copy or share any sexual images of a child), and report it to Cybertip.ca (Canada's tip line for online child sexual exploitation) or the police.
Common difficulties:
- Gets worried. Keep the tone calm and matter-of-fact, like crossing the street safely. Most people are kind, and grown-ups' job is to keep children safe.
- Doesn't know their last name or your phone number. Practise a little each day; songs help.
- Thinks everyone online is a friend. Explain: "We only chat with people we know in real life, and only when I say it's okay."