Last night the girls and I were chatting during dinner and a turn in the conversation lead to a discussion on strangers.

I've spoken with the girls before about not talking to people they don't know unless they are with an adult they DO know. My usually more reserved child, G. said she had a new plan to deal with a stranger asking her to help him find his lost puppy....

"First I'd kick him in his privates like daddy told me to do."

"Well honey, you don't kick everybody. Just someone who tries to touch you."

"Yeah mommy, I know that. "

"Good."

"Then I'd say (to the stranger), 'Monsieur. Pas de Bourree Francais. (Then in a really inaccurate French "accent") I do not speak English Monsieur.' "

"What!?"

"Mommy, it's French. I would pretend I didn't understand him because I speak French."

"OK. But honey you don't know how to speak French. And don't you think the English words might give that away?"

"No! I'd speak like a French person so he would think I was French."

"Honey, if you're going to pretend to speak another language, why not Spanish? You at least know words in that language. The only French you know is from ballet class." (Pas de bourree is a ballet step.)

"Yeah mommy, but it's not as weird."

"So you're going to scare off the stranger by speaking in French to him?"

"Yes!"

Once I picked myself up off the floor from laughing, I suggested she stick with our original plan when dealing with strangers - find mom or dad or another adult she knows and leave the "French talking" to her weekly drama class at the theater.

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