Keep Kids Safe This Holiday Season

As the holiday season approaches, it’s likely that your focus will be shifting towards family, traditions, and making lasting memories. It’s also a time when busy schedules and gatherings can create unique challenges for keeping children safe.

By planning ahead and staying mindful, you can ensure the season remains both joyful and secure for the children and teens in your life.

Here are five tips to help keep kids safe during the holiday season:

Open and honest communication is one of the most effective ways to protect children. The holidays are a great time to connect with your kids and revisit important safety conversations.

• Private Parts Are Private: Let your child know that no one should ever touch, look at, or take pictures of their private parts.
• No Body Secrets: Reinforce the idea that secrets aren’t okay, especially about bodies. Try saying, “No matter what anyone tells you, secrets are not okay, and you should always tell me if someone tries to make you keep a secret, especially a secret about your body.”
• Identify Safe Adults: Help your child think of trusted adults they can go to if they ever feel unsafe when you’re not around.
• Create A Plan: Come up with a code word or plan for your child to use if they feel uncomfortable and need your help.

Family gatherings often come with expectations for hugs, kisses, or sitting on people’s lap, but it’s important to respect your child’s boundaries. Teaching kids that their body is their own is a powerful lesson in consent.

• Offer Choices: Instead of saying, “Go give Aunty Joe a hug,” try, “Aunty Joe is here! Would you like to give her a hug, a high five, or just say hello?”
• Model Boundaries: Show your child how to ask for respect and how to respect other people’s boundaries. This reinforces the idea that a culture of consent values everyone’s comfort.
• Support Autonomy: When your child sets a body boundary, it’s important that you support their decision, even if other people don’t agree.
• Step In When Needed: If you notice your child looks uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to speak up. For example, “I think Jamie’s ready for a break.”

The holidays often mean busy homes, big gatherings, and lots of distractions. Keeping an eye on the environment can help reduce risks. Research shows 80% of sexual abuse occurs in one-on-one situations.

• Limit Isolation: Minimize opportunities for your child to be alone with another adult or youth, even those you know well. Group settings are safest.
• Keep Interactions Observable: Make sure all of your child’s interactions (with adults AND other children) take place in open, visible spaces that can easily be seen or interrupted.
• Choose Caregivers Carefully: 90% of child sexual abuse is conducted by someone the child knows and trusts. Remember — just because someone is close to you doesn’t automatically mean they’re a safe caregiver.
• Be Aware Of Blind Spots: Pay attention to secluded rooms and outdoor areas where your child could end up unsupervised.

Holiday breaks often mean more screen time for kids, and with that comes increased online risks. Staying involved in your child’s digital world is just as important as keeping an eye on them in real life.

• Know Their Connections: Treat your child’s online world like their social circle — know who they’re talking to and what apps they’re using.
• Check In Regularly: Use tools like screen time settings to monitor usage, and regularly ask your child about their online activities.
• Set Boundaries: Establish screen-free zones, like bedrooms, to help keep online activity observable.
• Be Honest: Let your child know why you’re monitoring their online activity. Explain that it’s because you want to keep them safe, and have open conversations about online risks they should avoid and what to do if something happens.

Take Care Of Yourself

The holidays can be stressful, and it’s okay to ask for help. Taking care of your own well-being is a key part of keeping your family safe and happy.

• Acknowledge The Pressure: The holidays can bring high expectations — emotionally, financially, and socially. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. Naming what you’re experiencing is the first step toward managing it.
• Lean On Your Support System: You don’t have to do it alone. Whether it’s a trusted friend, family member, or community group, reaching out can make a big difference. Asking for help or even just talking things out can lighten your load.
• Set Realistic Expectations: You don’t have to say “yes” to every invitation or tradition. Focus on what matters most to you and your family this season.
• Give Yourself Permission To Pause: You don’t have to be “on” all the time. Taking a moment to rest, reset, and take a deep breath is not only allowed — it’s necessary. So step outside, sip some tea, and give yourself a break! Slowing down helps you show up when it really counts.

When you keep communication open, support kids’ boundaries, stay mindful of their environments, and care for your own well-being, you’re not just protecting your child — you’re teaching them what safety, respect, and love look like. And that’s the most meaningful gift you could give this holiday season.