617-625-8400It’s back to school time! As you prepare your kids for school, don’t forget to go beyond school supplies and clothes. Take some time to discuss school safety tips with your children. Here are a few things that you may want to cover…
Stranger Danger
Yes, this is an obvious one but here might be something you haven’t thought of. For most kids, the concept of a stranger is very black and white. It is important not to focus on the actual “stranger” part, but on teaching your kids to evaluate a situation and make smart decisions. Many crimes against children are committed by individuals that they know and are therefore not strangers. For example, you may have neighbors or acquaintances that your children have met before. They are technically not strangers but are also not someone that your children should trust. Talk to your children about who they should absolutely trust (like certain family members) and those that they should be more cautious of.
Possible Scenarios
It is difficult enough for adults to think on their feet, so children will naturally struggle with it. Discussing and practicing different scenarios ahead of time will help children quickly determine what they should do. Here are a few ideas on scenarios that you may want to discuss.
- Strangers Approaching Them
- People They Know Asking Them to Go With Them
- What to do When Lost or Separated from Their Group
- Who They Should Turn to for Help
- What Adults Should or Should Not Be Allowed to Do
- What To Do if They’re Bullied
- What To Do if They See Someone Else Being Bullied
- What to If Their Bus Gets Into an Accident
- What to Look for When They Get Off the Bus
- How to Remain Safe When Walking Alone
More Massachusetts Back to School Safety Tips
Ultimately, it may be better to focus less on just the specific situations and more on how your children should use their judgement in those samples. Teach them to use their critical thinking. Have them apply their sense of right and wrong to protect themselves from harm. This will help them both in school and in life.
We hope that you find these Massachusetts back to school safety tips helpful. These tips are not intended to be fully comprehensive but merely to give you a starting point to discuss safety with your children.
