8 Back to School Safety Tips from B Safe
With back to school season sadly right around the corner, these back to school safety tips can help keep your child safe and ease your worries while you’re at work. These tips work are mostly aimed at families with younger children, but families with older children can learn a few things as well.
1) Teach your child about distracted walking.
Distracted walking is walking while doing anything that takes your focus away from the environment. This can be texting, listening to music with earbuds, or even walking with friends. Your child should be aware of what’s going on around them at all times.
2) Have your child tell you if their usual routine will change.
If your child gets home at 3:30, have them let you know if they’re going to a friend’s house or staying late. This will ease any concerns if you don’t see them come home on your app, or if you return home to an empty house.
3) If your child rides a bike to school, have them learn hand signals.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has put out a friendly guide to bike signals here. While a younger child should always be biking on the sidewalk, sometimes they may be forced onto the road. Learning these signals could prevent them from getting into an accident.
4) Go over bus etiquette with your child if they ride the bus to school.
It seems simple to you, but your child will be mostly unsupervised on the bus. Remind them to stay in their seat, listen to the bus driver, and to always get off at the same stop.
5) Have your child walk with friends or in a group.
It is strongly suggested that kids should not walk to school by themselves until they are at least ten years old. We agree. But in any event, try to make sure your kid walks with others to and from school. There’s a reason people say there is safety in numbers.
6) Have a conversation with your child about bullies and bullying.
Back to school season is the time to have a brief conversation about what to do with bullies. This differs from family to family, but a few minutes at the beginning of the year will help avoid problems for your children during the school day or after school.
7) Set a pick-up point.
If your kid has soccer practice after school, where should they meet you to be picked up? Creating a pattern for your child makes things easier for both of you. Make sure it’s a place that is safe for your child to be even if you are running late.
8) Having a monitored security system that lets you look at your cameras from your phone can be a big help.
If you’re stuck at work, you’ll want to make sure your kids got home safely. With our Total Connect app, you can tap into your phone from anywhere in the United States and see a live feed of your cameras. You’ll know that your kid got home safely and can put your mind at ease. For more information, give us a call at 800-432-3473.