Kidpower’s ‘Put Safety FIRST’ Founding Principle is:
“Safety and wellbeing are more important than ANYONE’S embarrassment, inconvenience, or offense!”
This principle grew out of a comment made by Founding Board President Ellen Bass in 1989 when she and I were at the bank finalizing Kidpower’s status as a new nonprofit.
Suddenly, Ellen turned to me and said, “What we are doing here is revolutionary! We are saying that the safety and self-esteem of a child are more important than anyone’s embarrassment, inconvenience, or offense!”
I asked, “Can you repeat that, please?” and wrote her words down on the back of an envelope.
Ellen’s words became the basis of our Founding Principle – which we quickly expanded to include everyone, not just children!
In our workshops for adults, we sometimes state our Put Safety FIRST Principle and then say, “Of course, you wouldn’t BE here if you didn’t believe that safety and wellbeing are more important than uncomfortable feelings. The problem is that this belief is easy to say and often hard to choose in real life.”
Then we ask, “Do YOU ever want to avoid… feeling embarrassed? … embarrassing most other people?…being bothered when you are busy? ,,,, bothering most other people? … having people get angry with you? … feeling angry yourself?… “
And most people nod their heads in response to each question.
And then we ask, “And how many of you have children or other vulnerable people in your life who feel the same way?”
Again, most heads nod in agreement.
The key to developing the skill of making wise choices instead of avoiding the fear of discomfort is to PRACTICE!
This is why our emotional and personal safety programs include rehearsing how to speak up powerfully and respectfully for what we DO and DO NOT want and persisting in the face of negative reactions – and recognizing the boundaries and limitations of others.
In this process, we often get to practice dealing with uncomfortable feelings while advocating for safety and wellbeing. We also teach people to recognize and trust their intuition, which means paying attention to your feelings and using your judgement.
By being prepared to Put Safety FIRST, we are better able to make safe and wise choices for ourselves and our loved ones.
So, next time you find yourself wanting to avoid discomfort, ask yourself, “Is avoiding discomfort right now going to be helpful or harmful in the long run?”
Published: July 27, 2023 | Last Updated: July 27, 2023
Kidpower’s ‘Put Safety FIRST’ Founding Principle is:
“Safety and wellbeing are more important than ANYONE’S embarrassment, inconvenience, or offense!”
This principle grew out of a comment made by Founding Board President Ellen Bass in 1989 when she and I were at the bank finalizing Kidpower’s status as a new nonprofit.
Suddenly, Ellen turned to me and said, “What we are doing here is revolutionary! We are saying that the safety and self-esteem of a child are more important than anyone’s embarrassment, inconvenience, or offense!”
I asked, “Can you repeat that, please?” and wrote her words down on the back of an envelope.
Ellen’s words became the basis of our Founding Principle – which we quickly expanded to include everyone, not just children!
In our workshops for adults, we sometimes state our Put Safety FIRST Principle and then say, “Of course, you wouldn’t BE here if you didn’t believe that safety and wellbeing are more important than uncomfortable feelings. The problem is that this belief is easy to say and often hard to choose in real life.”
Then we ask, “Do YOU ever want to avoid… feeling embarrassed? … embarrassing most other people?…being bothered when you are busy? ,,,, bothering most other people? … having people get angry with you? … feeling angry yourself?… “
And most people nod their heads in response to each question.
And then we ask, “And how many of you have children or other vulnerable people in your life who feel the same way?”
Again, most heads nod in agreement.
The key to developing the skill of making wise choices instead of avoiding the fear of discomfort is to PRACTICE!
This is why our emotional and personal safety programs include rehearsing how to speak up powerfully and respectfully for what we DO and DO NOT want and persisting in the face of negative reactions – and recognizing the boundaries and limitations of others.
In this process, we often get to practice dealing with uncomfortable feelings while advocating for safety and wellbeing. We also teach people to recognize and trust their intuition, which means paying attention to your feelings and using your judgement.
By being prepared to Put Safety FIRST, we are better able to make safe and wise choices for ourselves and our loved ones.
So, next time you find yourself wanting to avoid discomfort, ask yourself, “Is avoiding discomfort right now going to be helpful or harmful in the long run?”
Published: July 27, 2023 | Last Updated: July 27, 2023
Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director
Kidpower Founder and Executive Irene van der Zande is a master at teaching safety through stories and practices and at inspiring others to do the same. Her child protection and personal safety expertise has been featured by USA Today, CNN, Today Moms, the LA Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Publications include: cartoon-illustrated Kidpower Safety Comics and Kidpower Teaching Books curriculum; Bullying: What Adults Need to Know and Do to Keep Kids Safe; the Relationship Safety Skills Handbook for Teens and Adults; Earliest Teachable Moment: Personal Safety for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers; The Kidpower Book for Caring Adults: Personal Safety, Self-Protection, Confidence, and Advocacy for Young People, and the Amazon Best Seller Doing Right by Our Kids: Protecting Child Safety at All Levels.