Now that summer is over and kids are starting to settle into their new classes and school routine, it’s time to focus on safety. As a parent or caregiver of a child, it’s your responsibility to ensure they stay safe on the way to and from school, as well as on campus.
According to the CDC, about four million children are injured at school each year. Most of those injuries are minor, but serious injuries can and do happen. If your child is injured at school, like a car accident in the school’s parking lot, be sure to connect with a personal injury attorney right away.
You can’t guarantee your child will never be hurt at school when you’re not around. Accidents do happen. However, with the following tips and reminders, you can prevent many common injuries.
Remind your child about school bus safety
Never count on your child’s teachers and administrators to demonstrate appropriate school bus safety. While most schools address safety, some might skip over important points, and your child might be distracted when the safety lesson is being taught.
Make sure your child knows that they need to stay in their seat while the bus is moving and wait for instructions to get up and off the bus. While on the bus, they should keep their hands inside at all times and not dangle their belongings out the window or throw anything from the bus at passing cars (or people standing around).
When the bus approaches their stop, they should wait until it comes to a complete stop to board. If your child doesn’t take the bus, they still need to know these rules in case they end up waiting for someone at a bus stop or want to rush onto the bus to see a friend.
Plan a designated safe route to and from school
If your child walks, skates, or bikes to school, create a designated route for them to follow based on safety first. For example, choose a route that gives them a well-lit area to move through in case they are out there early in the morning, and make sure they can cross each street with a traffic signal.
Emphasize the importance of staying on the sidewalk and using crosswalks properly. It’s also wise to teach your child to be extra cautious of cars making a right turn on a red light and do more than lightly glance over their left shoulder before stepping off the curb. Sometimes cars rush lights that just changed to red and a quick glance isn’t always enough to see them.
Go over “stranger danger”
You can’t over emphasize the importance of not talking to or accepting things from people they don’t know, no matter how nice a person seems.
Discourage your child from making friends with random adults who aren’t their teachers. For instance, they shouldn’t be spending time with maintenance personnel or people they meet at the fence during recess. If a stranger becomes too familiar, your child might feel okay enough to make an exception to the “stranger danger” rule, so you want to avoid that altogether.
Get your child to wear a helmet if they skate or bike
Head injuries can be serious and even life-threatening, so make sure your child understands the importance of wearing a helmet. Accidents can happen even to talented and careful individuals. For instance, if there’s a split in the sidewalk that drops down and your child doesn’t see it until it’s too late, they can be thrown off their bike onto the sidewalk or into the street.
Some kids oppose helmets because they don’t look cool, and that’s understandable, but if they won’t wear a helmet, don’t let them bike or skate to school. Sometimes it’s easier to get a child to wear a helmet when they pick it out and can decorate it however they wish with stickers. You can also reward them with special treats or outings, depending on their age.
Teach your child to speak up
Some injuries can be prevented when your child speaks up about unsafe conditions. This might be an area that gets extra slippery when it rains, or a bully situation that looks like it’s turning violent.
Back to school should be fun
Sending your child back to school should be a fun experience for them as well as academically challenging. They have enough to think about with their classes, friends, and challenges of navigating their social world. Do what you can to protect them from preventable injuries so they can stay happy and healthy this school year.
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