That time of year has come again. Time for the kids to go back to school. There are many issues and dangers facing our young these days. It is not easy watching your own child leave the safety of home and venture out on their own.
How can we keep our kids safe as they return to school?
1. Of course, this all varies depending on the child’s age. Young children should be taught their address and phone number. Even before school age. This will protect if they ever wander off.
2. Remind them not to talk to strangers, under ANY circumstances. Not just that, teach them the tricks that predators will use: offering candy, looking for lost dog, they are lost and need directions. As much as you can teach them so they are careful. Kids have big hearts and it is easy for them to be duped.
3. Help them ease their anxiety. There are many kids that suffer social phobias and return to school is extraordinarily an anxiety producing circumstance. All kids have some anxiety at the thought of returning to school.
4. Talk to them about healthy eating. They will now be eating outside your scrutiny. Help them know smart food choices to make. Sure, it is OK to cheat sometimes. But, I see so many kids with a high fat junk food diet that it is so hard to get them to eat anything healthy.
5. Stress the importance of exercise and physical activity. These days, with computers and ipads, much of our activities are now sedentary. We need to find time to help our kids get active.
6. Check out your child’s back pack. I see so many kids c/o shoulder or back pain because their back packs are too heavy. Make sure the straps are adjusted snuggly enough. Also, it should be worn over both shoulders and not just one.
7. Get them started on a regular sleep schedule. Over the summer kids tend to stay up later and wake up later. It is hard to change to school schedule if you start the week they are back. It is better to adjust it 2 weeks before school starts.
8. Talk about taboo topics. Tell them that there are dangers to smoking, drugs, alcohol, sex. Some parents are uncomfortable bringing up these topics with their children. But, their peers in school are not. And they will be hearing that side of the story. Better they receive this education from the parents and what the expectations are.
9. If your child drives, talk to them about driving safety. They should obey all traffic laws including speed limits. And they always need to wear their seat belt.
10. Teach them not to do something that feels uncomfortable or wrong. If they feel that someone has asked them to do something inappropriate, they should tell someone. It is never wrong to speak up.
11. And make sure they have all their vaccinations.
While most of us our winding down our summers, we need to start preparing our kids before school starts. Parents will not always be around to protect their kids. We need to teach them to be smart and protect themselves. And we need to teach them healthy lifestyles
