Child safety tips for school

Children in school are at high risk for accidents. If you have school-age children there are some safety rules you should review with them. When your child knows what to do to stay safe then they are able to avoid dangerous situations and potential accidents. Knowledge is the key to safety. Some safety tips you should assess with your children are:

Traffic Safety—walk on the sidewalk when possible; always cross at a cross walk and preferably with a crossing guard; watch for cars and make sure to stop before attempting to cross the street; be aware, alert and use caution in the school parking lot; walk in groups or with friends to and from school; get off your bike when crossing the street.

Stranger Safety—know what to do when a stranger approaches; don’t let the stranger get close to you and if they walk toward you, run away; don’t stay to talk and tell someone as soon as possible; scream or attract attention to yourself, if someone grabs you—kick and scream, bite and yell “HELP” or “someone is trying to kidnap me” and try to get away. Have a code word that is only between you and your child, if someone tells your child they are supposed to come with him or her, but they don’t know the code word, instruct your child not to get in the car.

Bus Safety—wait for the bus at a bus stop or in a safety place away from traffic; stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop, flashes its lights and opens the doors; when exiting the bus exit on the opposite side of traffic and quickly put distance between you and the bus.

Car Safety—wear seatbelts and use car seats/booster seats when appropriate (most crashes occur close to home); follow traffic laws and be aware of school zone; exit the car on the side of the street where the school is located and watch for other cars.

Playground Safety—follow playground rules, don’t jump or climb on high equipment; use common sense and listen to the teacher and playground monitors; avoid harmful contact with classmates, if this occurs report incident to teacher or supervisor; use proper equipment when playing sports.

Fire Safety—talk about fire drills; teach kids what to do is their clothing catches on fire (stop, drop, roll) and make sure they know what to do when the fire alarm goes off (school fire escape plan).

Children need to know how to keep safe and how to react in harmful situations. Part of a parent’s responsibility is educating their children about hazards and safety. You cannot leave the education strictly up to the teachers or the school. Most schools have programs to help teach young children about safety issues, but if they learn it at home first then they will have a better chance of understanding safety procedures and implementing them at school. If children are aware of their environment and are prepared when safety risks arise they will react accordingly.