Depending on the type of child you have, he or she might either love bugs or hate them. But regardless of which end of the spectrum your child falls on, it’s important that you can teach your children the safest ways to interact with the bugs around them. So whether a random bug wanders into your house or your kids come across one while playing outside, here are three things that you should have taught your child so that he or she knows how to be safe around bugs.

The Difference Between Good Bugs and Bad Bugs

Although you might not like to think of any bugs as being “good bugs,” there are some bugs that are good and safe for your children to interact with. According to PestDefense.com, some of these bugs include fireflies, ladybugs, and even some spiders. But although spiders are considered good bugs, it’s still safest if you don’t let your children hunt or play with spiders. On the bad bugs list are things like mosquitoes, ants, and cockroaches. To best explain to your children why some bugs are good or bad, share that certain bugs can’t hurt humans while other bugs can be very dangerous if they bite or spread disease.

How To React To Bugs

It’s not uncommon for children to scream when they see something that scares them, especially if that thing they see is a bug. However, in some situations, screaming at a bug could work to only escalate the situation. So rather than reacting in this way, Frances Nankin and Jesse McMahon, contributors to PBS.org, advises that you show your children how to react calmly. To do this, you first have to get your own gut reaction under control. Try to show your children how once you’ve spotted a bug, be it inside your home or outside, you either let it go on its way or you carefully trap it until you can figure out what best to do with it.

What To Do When Your Child Gets A Bug Bite

If your child gets bit or stung by a bug, it only makes sense that he or she would then have a negative association with insects. So to help ensure that a situation such as this doesn’t end badly for your child, it’s important for you to teach him or her what to do if they get a bug bite or sting. According to Dr. Vincent Iannelli, a contributor to Very Well Family, the treatments you should make will vary depending on what type of bug your child was bite by. So rather than having them do any type of treatment themselves, teach they to identify what the bug looked like so you can ensure that they get the right treatment for whatever bug got to them.

To help your kids stay safe around bugs, consider using the tips mentioned above to help teach them some simple bug safety principles.