How to Teach Kids to Protect Themselves

Originally aired on the Dad Edge Podcast

The world can be a dangerous place, and our kids are especially vulnerable. From bullying and abuse to abductions and shootings, how can we shield our children from danger? More importantly, how can we teach them to respond to violence when we aren’t with them?

Today we have Dad Edge Alliance member Adam Mitchell. He is a personal protection expert who specializes in tactical parenting. He is also the host of the Close Quarter Dad Podcast and Training Program.

In this episode, we do a live Q&A with our members on how to teach kids to protect themselves. Adam answers questions about why dads should train with their kids, when they should begin showing them self-protection strategies, and how to train kids to be vigilant, but not fearful.

This is a show every dad needs to hear to keep his family safe. Plus, look out for a special offer at the end of the interview.

Adam Mitchell and Close Quarter Dad

“My name is Adam Mitchell, I have been teaching children and families martial arts for over 20 years. About 13 years ago I started noticing a pattern. In most cases it would be the moms engaging in their kids’ martial arts classes, and the dads would usually stay away or wait out in the parking lot.

It turns out these dads where at loss with how to prepare their kids for facing difficulties in life. In fact, they felt a bit embarrassed that another man was teaching their kids how to defend themselves instead of them.

This feeling of being “replaced,” when their kids looked up to their martial arts teacher instead of their dad, was driving a split between the dads and their kids.

So after a lot of trial and error trying to get the dads involved, I came to the realization that I needed to empower the dads to take back the role of teaching their kids how to stand up for themselves. So that they would be the ones preparing their kids for the challenges they are going to face in their lives.

That slowly turned into the Close Quarter Dad program, giving dads parenting tactics to not only teach their kids how to defend themselves, but also how to achieve success, learn life and management skills, become decisive, and the many other aspects involved in raising happy, healthy and well-adjusted kids.”

I recognized that there are 5 tactics, or core areas of tactical parenting, that dads need to become the most important guardian in their kids’ lives.