By: Alicia Heyl
If you have school-age children, you have been in the thick of back-to-school craziness for the last few weeks. As if the cartful of school supplies and endless stops in search of the perfect sneaker aren’t enough to trigger stress and anxiety, you most likely have been battling the worries of what your child’s experience will be like this year. Will they make good friends or will they be bullied? Will they stand up for themselves and others? Have I taught them to make the right choices? Will they be SAFE?
These kinds of questions certainly have the potential to keep you up at night, but what if I told you that there are tools available to help equip and educate your kids? Would opening up lines of communication between you and your children help you feel more confident as a parent? Would you be able to sleep better at night knowing your children are aware of unsafe situations and are willing to discuss them with you should they ever find themselves there? The SAFE Hearts line by Damsel in Defense offers more than a dozen books, along with a board game and parent guide, designed to facilitate conversations about potentially “tricky situations”. In these stories, the main characters end up in situations that don’t quite feel right to them. A Heart Defender freezes the action to step in and tell them how to follow their “heart signals” and make courageous choices to protect their hearts.
SAFE Hearts stories cover topics such as peer-pressure, coercion, grooming (establishing trust and secrecy in preparation for abuse), victim blaming, firearm safety, and even pornography. They reach out to children of all ages, from 2-12. Some stories are designed for young children such as the toddler board book “Armor”, while others like “Shielded Eyes, Shielded Hearts” may be better suited for children entering middle school. The Parent Guide addresses many important topics including:
– What You May Feel As a Parent
– Creating Boundaries For & With Your Child
-Knowing the Warning Signs of Abuse
-Protecting Your Child’s Eyes & Heart in a Digital World
-Understanding Abuse in Children with Disabilities … and more!
You can visit www.safehearts.com for details on each story and fun, free printable activities related to the characters. To purchase SAFE Hearts books and other self-defense products including personal alarms for kids and adults, bullet-proof backpack inserts, pepper spray and more, go to www.mydamselpro.net/alicia_heyl Or join Alicia’s Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/groups/StunGunSlingers
Alicia Heyl is an Independent Damsel Pro with Damsel in Defense. She lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with her husband and two young boys. They enjoy camping, gardening and going out for ice cream. Alicia is passionate about Damsel’s mission to equip, empower and educate women to protect themselves and their families. Her dream is to change the statistics around abuse, assault and human trafficking one life at a time by sharing Damsel’s products and contributing to the safe houses Damsel sponsors in Cambodia and India. Please reach out to her with any questions you may have!
