5 Incredibly Important Back to School Safety Tips

back-to-school-safety-tips

Back to school safety tips are something that every parent needs as we get closer to the return to school.  Every time we send our kids back to school, it feels as though there are new potential dangers to worry about. The days of innocence are over it seems and back to school can be dangerous if you are not careful to prepare your kids. Sometimes that danger is physical and sometimes it is emotional…regardless it can’t be ignored. Here are five common back to school safety tips to make sure your kid is prepared.

Back to School Safety Tips

Teach or repeat stranger danger

If you have not already had cause to teach your kids about strangers and the dangers that accompany them, now is the time. Kids should not go off to school without understanding the need to stay away from strangers and not to be fooled. Discussing the types of things that are okay and the types of things that should be avoided is vital. Definitely talk about the rules of who will pick them up from school. The list should be short and limited to only the people they know well.

Enforce the importance of washing hands often

With all the new strains of flu and various other maladies that spread through schools so easily, it is absolutely vital that you teach your kids about washing hands. This also includes paying attention to what they touch and sharing food and drink.

Have an emergency plan in place

Kids always feel safer when they know what to do and you have to take the time to ingrain the details into their memory. For example, what would they do if the school had an emergency and they needed to get someplace safe outside the school? In a world where shooters and horrific weather is more more common, we can’t blow this off as a long-shot any longer. It is far better for them to know what to do and what not to do should it happen. Have a place to meet and a backup in case of emergency. It might be a specific part of the school grounds or a trusted home close by. Perhaps even a business that is nearby and safe will work.

Make them a safety card

Your child should have a laminated card on their person at all times that gives their name, address, phone number, emergency contacts and medical conditions at a minimum. This information can be extremely important should they become lost or sick away from home or school.

Discuss bullying and social issues

Bullying has taken the forefront but the same old issues are still out there as well…drugs, peer pressure, smoking and premarital sex to name a few. Discuss all of these things with your kids no matter how uncomfortable it might seem. Over time you will build a trustworthy line of communication that your kids will value as much as you. Bullying is not something you can ignore as a parent. Give your kids real solutions and the power to defend themselves.

These back to school safety tips are far from the only ones, but they will get your kids off to a good start. Talk to them about what they might be concerned with. This often reveals other conversations that need to be had as well.

 Can you think of any other important back to school safety tips that we missed?

19 thoughts on “5 Incredibly Important Back to School Safety Tips”

  1. I can not believe we are so close to back to school. These are great tips, I have two kids in College this year so back to school is a little different for us this year.

  2. These are great back to school safety tips! It’s so important to reenforce stranger danger to kids. It’s never to early to teach your children how to safe <3

  3. A wonderful list of back to school safety Yes in these days we have to take extra precaution with the little ones as they go off to school!

  4. You have a list of wonderful tips here. We can never be to cautious when it comes to strangers and our children. Better to be safe than sorry!

  5. These are really great tips! My kids are so friendly so I”m really working on the stranger danger thing. Having them someplace besides with me for hte majority of the day is super scary at times!

  6. Stranger Danger is great, but I also teach my kids about intuition and inappropriate situations, since most abusers are people the child knows. I’ve taught them to “trust their gut” – if something feels wrong or they’re uneasy, they need to leave the situation in whatever way possible. Trusting that kids will stay safe while they’re at school is such a difficult (but necessary) thing!

  7. What you mentioned are probably the most important things to make your child aware of before leaving your home and entering the world in general. I think it is an excellent idea to have all emergency info on them at all times just in case!

  8. These are all perfect ideas. I am trying to think of others but the only one I can think of is not sharing drinks because that is a quick way to get ill! I definitely have to talk to my kids about some things again as a refresher for the school year.

  9. Robin Rue (@massholemommy)

    These are all really important. I always remind my kids about stranger danger. You just never know.

  10. My grandkids have been taught about stranger danger. All kids should know these things. These are all great safety tips for back-to-school.

  11. That’s a great list for keeping kids safe, especially the emphasize on stranger danger and having a safety plan.

  12. I am thankful that my kids are pretty aware of stranger danger. My youngest hasn’t gotten that concept yet but it is something that I plan on working with him on before he goes off to Kindergarten in a few years.

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