7 Back to School Safety Tips – Guest Post

For most kids, going to school is the first real test of independence from mom and dad. Before they walk out the door, every child should be armed with some basic safety tips.

Seven Back To School Safety Tips

1. Look both ways before crossing the street.
Most kids know that they should look both ways before they cross the street, but in the excitement of seeing friends or if they are in a hurry, they often act before they think. If your child walks to school, he should always cross with the crossing guard’s okay. If your child takes a school bus, she should always wait until the bus is stopped and the red lights are flashing before crossing the street – and even then, look both ways to make sure all the vehicles on the street have stopped.

2. Sit down on the bus.
Kids are used to being buckled up in a car, but bus seats don’t have seat belts. Remind your child that, even without seat belts, the rules on the bus are the same as in the minivan. Sit down while the bus is moving. No sticking arms out the window. Don’t push and shove. And while at the bus stop, always wait a good distance away from the curb.

3. Name, address, and phone number.
Your child should know her first and last name, her street address and a phone number where she can call a parent. Even if your child is carrying around a cellphone, she should memorize at least parental phone numbers. Remember, cellphones can get lost or batteries go dead. Your child should always have a way to reach you without a preprogrammed contact list.

4. Always take the same route to and from school.
If your child walks or rides a bike to school, encourage them to always take the same route, which should be on sidewalks whenever possible. Groups of kids from the neighborhood should walk together, and older kids should keep an eye out on younger kids. Parents should have an idea how long the walk to school should take. Same with kids on the bus – stay on the same bus route.

5. Make sure your child knows the difference between good and bad strangers.
Introducing your child to the concept of “stranger danger” is important, but it can also leave him wary of all strangers. After all, your child is likely to meet a lot of strangers as he goes off to school – new teachers, parents of classmates, crossing guards and bus drivers – and you don’t want to create fear of new people. Set basic rules of adults your children can trust and what to do if someone they don’t know offers them a ride home or a piece of candy or asks for help finding a lost kitten.

6. If it doesn’t feel right, tell the teacher.
Let’s be honest – kids of all ages can be mean. Bullying has always been a problem in schools but today it is made worse thanks to social media. Your child should know it is okay to walk away from a bully or from anyone who makes her feel uncomfortable. Practice ways to handle these incidents so your child feels more confident. And she should know that if something is happening at school that makes her feel unsafe, it is okay to tell the teacher at school and to always tell you at home.

7. Have a check-in plan.
Unfortunately, many children have to come home to an empty house. If your child is one of them, create an afterschool check-in plan. He should contact you as soon as he gets home (which is why that regular school route is so important – you should know how long it should take to get from school to home on an average day). Arrange to have a neighbor or nearby family member or friend to be “on call” if there is a problem. Make sure your child knows never to go into the house if something doesn’t look right; instead head to the on-call neighbor’s house.