When you think of sending your child to a school for the first time, what is the first thing you think about teaching them? School safety, right? Wrong. In fact, most parents are too worried about shopping for school clothes and school supplies to even think about teaching their children about school safety. Don’t let yourself be one of these parents.
One of the first things that you should teach your child before they start going to school is the most important: “Don’t talk to strangers.” This may sound like a broad subject, because it is, and you should go into detail with your child about who they should consider a “stranger”. You must explain to your child that their teachers and school staff should not be considered strangers.
The next step to teaching your child about school safety is to show them the “buddy system”. This is important for the simple fact that a child predator is looking for an easy grab. They are looking for the one child that seems to be by themselves because the more children there are, the more likely the predator is to get caught, which is the last thing they want to happen. The “buddy system” is a simple way to avoid or at the very least lessen the chances of your child becoming a victim of a predator.
School safety does not stop with teaching you child about avoiding strangers. In today's world, we need to understand that stress can make a school aged person go to extremes. If your child is having a problem with a bully, or knows a person who acts as if they may harm themselves or others, make sure that your child knows they should talk to an adult. Confronting the problem before it gets too far may help to stop it.
Although these are only some basic tips on teaching your child about school safety, there are many sites available on the internet which offer tips on child safety. There are also some child-based books available at your local library or bookstore. Just remember, you want your child to come home from school the same or better than when they left, and these are some ways to make that happen.
