My kids will be starting back to school towards the end of this month. My heart always breaks at the stories of kids that get hit by cars getting on or off the bus. As a parent I think there are things we can do to help our kids too.
When possible watch your kids until the get on the bus. Especially elementary school age. I do this not just because of the danger of getting hit by a car but also because of the kidnapping stories too. (So much to worry about anymore right?)
Teaching our kids about looking both ways before crossing the street. My kids don’t have to cross the road. They’re picked up at the bottom of our driveway but lot kids do have to cross at least one street to get to their bus stop or get home.
Password. I’ll be honest this isn’t one thing we’ve established yet but I really need to. I’ve heard stories of kids avoiding stranger danger because of using a password. The idea is to use a word they’ll remember and if someone tries to pick them up they ask them for the password. IF they don’t know they password the kid knows not to go with them.
Avoid putting your child’s name on their clothing and backpacks where it’s visible. I label my kids items but I’ll put it inside the backpack, inside their shoes, or on the tag of their shirt.
For driving safety tips for back to school check out my post on reedman toll blog.
