We’re proud to bring you a back-to-school safety article which, this time is a guest post by Donna Fitzgerald who is a mother of two and enjoys journaling in her free time. She also enjoys traveling and sharing her experiences with readers. You can visit her blog at goodhomehealth.net
With the end of summer coming to a close, you’re likely packing away summer gear and hitting the back to school sales. Every new school year is a bittersweet experience whether your kids are starting kindergarten or entering the halls of a middle school.
Here are some safety tips to consider while you and your kids are preparing for a brand new school year.
School Bus Safety For You and Your Kids
Even if you drive your kids to school, there’s a good chance that your child will ride a school bus at least a few times during the school year for trips or extra curricular activities. While you can expect that your child’s educators may teach some bus safety tips and appropriate behavior, it’s a good idea to remind your child how to enter and exit a bus safely, stay a safe distance away, and to always cross the street when it’s safe.
As a parent and driver, it’s essential that you get back into the “back to school” mindset and drive with care around school buses. In the state of Wisconsin, the failure to stop when a school bus has flashing red lights can range from $30 to $300 fine.
Adopt a Healthy Routine
There’s nothing quite like sitting back, enjoying the summer sun, eating ice cream, and giving your kids as much screen as they want some days. With school just around the corner, it’s a good idea to get back into a healthy routine. This means implementing a regular bedtime that will ensure a solid eight hours and cap how much screen time your kids get at the end of the day.
Everyone deserves to unwind after a long day, but blue screens interrupt healthy sleep patterns and it can make your morning routine a struggle. Getting a good night’s sleep is also essential for all drivers in your household from you to your new teen driver. You have to keep your brain sharp and alert while behind the wheel!
Get Involved When You Can
Once a school year begins, everyone gets busy. One of the best ways to spend time with your kids and help make sure that they are staying safe is to get involved. Whether you coach an extracurricular activity like Knowledge Bowl or head to soccer matches after school, your kids appreciate your presence (when you can make it), even if they never admit to it.
Talk About Safety
Kids are prone to personal injuries from scraps and bruises to more serious injuries like fractures or concussions. You can’t always prevent your kids from getting hurt, but you can arm them when information and ways to stay safer.
Whether you’re child is hanging out with friends on the playground or having their first sleepover at someone else’s home, talk to your child about safety precautions like wearing protective gear during sports or what to do if they encounter firearms or other potentially dangerous products or tools.
Have Open and Honest Discussions With Your Children
Raising children is exciting and challenging, but most parents will agree it’s one of the most rewarding experiences. Whether your child is in grade school or starting high school, try to have open, honest, and age-appropriate discussions with them.
Whether you’re handing over the keys to your teen driver for the first time or you’re helping your middle schooler talk through some issues with peer pressure, your advice goes a long way and is important when keeping your child safe.
You can’t be with them every minute of the day, but you can offer words of wisdom and tips to help them make better decisions that can also keep them safer.
Bound for South Dakota with my 3 boys and mom, we opted to drive on this family vacation as we were camping ⛺️ and the drive from Wisconsin to the Black Hills, SD is only 12 hours (with the exception of our numerous stops for bathrooms, gasoline, coffee, sightseeing and food!) Our vehicle was a 4X4 SUV (seats 7) loaded with our possessions including a waterproof fabric car top carrier and a small trailor with more of our vacation gear (bedding, camping stove, food, chairs, etc.)
