The other day at dismissal at our daughter’s school, the topic of keeping our children safe was discussed.  Protecting the Gift: Keeping Our Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane) is the book our family has turned to in order to get direction and support regarding how to effectively speak with our child about the risks that exist in our world.

Gavin de Becker appeared on the Oprah show years ago and discussed the basic principals from his book The Gift of Fear.   He talked at length about staying safe by trusting your gut instincts and how to respond if you are in a crisis situation.  The discussion made an impact, and I read The Gift of Fear.

His follow up book Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane) is not an “easy” read, but it is an outstanding book.  I find that I have to read small portions at a time and digest what I have read and then think about how our family can implement what I have learned.  Many stories are shared within de Becker’s book and many of them do not have happy endings, but they are included in order to teach powerful lessons that make an impact.

Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane) is on my short list as a must have parenting resource.