How make you and your kid feel safer back at school?
Image by นิธิ วีระสันติ from Pixabay
Back to school is an exciting time for the kids to catch up with school friends, meet new children, and upgrade to the next grade. But it can also be a time with many uncertain occurrences.
Often, children get involved in accidents either on the way to school or even at school. Parents should learn the basic tips for keeping safety measures in ensuring that the kids have a safe stay experience in the school times.
Although there are severe forms of accidents such as school mass shootings, parents can prevent some accidents by getting committed to the kids’ safety and especially during this time of COVID-19. Below are tips to make you and your kids feel safe back to school.
School bus safety
Depending on the distance between your home and the school, your kids can use various transportation forms. During the journey, you may experience accidents that can cause severe injuries or death.
You’ll need to take the children to the bus stop and ensure safe boarding before you embark on your normal duties for your kids’ safety. It would be risky to leave the kids at the bus stop since it’s a spot prone to accidents.
You’ll need to carry on with this task on several occasions until the kids get used to the system. It’s a good ground to spot any possible dangers ahead and act before anything happens. The dangers could be high traffic and poor road lights, among others. Ensure to inform your children to be watchful of the place. The alerts could involve:
- Staying alert at the bus stop.
- Watching out for road signs.
- Be careful when crossing the road.
- Avoid walking behind buses.
- While waiting for the school bus, kids should stand a few meters away.
- Kids should remain seated after boarding the bus.
After the bus take-off, the kids should pay attention to the driver and do as instructed. Ensure your kids know the window and door emergency exits. To dig deeper, double-check with the school if the kids clearly understand the bus safety measures.
Walking or biking to school
Children not far from the school would walk or use a bike. Teach your kids to obey traffic laws. The ones on foot should use the sidewalk and observe all road rules, including crossing the roads.
Kids should also avoid playing on the way. If your kids use bikes, you can get kids’ labels for clear identity while both on the road and at school. Inform your kids about the importance of riding on the sidewalks and maintaining the bike lane. Advise your kids to keep off electronic devices while walking or biking.
- Ensure you supervise the kids whether on foot or bike.
- Make side plans to facilitate kids’ transportation to school during bad weather.
- Backpacks should be fastened properly on the kid’s back to prevent back pain.
- Use modern technological gadgets to tracks the kid’s location.
Peer confrontation
Reporting back to school during the New Year means higher grades and new friends from various backgrounds and ages. Kids will also meet adults while at school. Teach your children to learn and build healthy relationships with others.
Kids have sharp brains and tend to master what you say within a short time. Some kids in schools can have a strange character and might subject your children to verbal or physical abuse. Teach your kids to learn to say no to the bully and with confidence. The kids should move from the place and report the matter to the teacher or the administration.
Should your child continue to experience bullying, take appropriate measures to stop the trend by:
- Take proof of the bully messages to the teacher or the administrator.
- Remind your kids not to feel intimidated and give the assurance that you’re defending the kids’ rights.
- Block the bully on the platforms used to harass your child.
COVID-19 precaution and prevention measures
In this era of the pandemic, life has become tighter for parents to let kids report back to school. But it would be best if you took preventive measures to ensure that your kids stay safe while in school, from school and at home. Here is what to do.
- Teach your kids to wash their hands as many times as possible.
- Let the kids wear a face mask while in school and back home.
- Ensure your kids observe social distance by staying a few meters apart from each other.
Additionally, work in collaboration with the school administration to find what type of preventive measure has been put in place. The school needs to improve hygiene measures to ensure that all kids stay safe. Remember you’re not doing this just for your kids but also for your safety.
After school safety
Kids’ safety from school is as crucial as going to school. Ensure the same rules and safety measures apply and that your kids stick to the rules. Much as you can track your kids from anywhere, ensure each has a cell phone if possible.
In case of an emergency, the kids can either call you or the police line. Once the children get home, keep up with the safety rules and more so when you’re not at home. Inform your kids never to let in strangers.
Summary
Whatever safety measure you teach your kids, ensure you follow up closely for full implementation and daily adherence. Kids can be tricky sometimes, and you might stay back thinking that everything is okay. It’s both for your good and the good of your children.