Sending off your child to school for the first time is a hard experience for every mother. They may encounter mixed emotions, but the most evident one is fear. Fear of the unknown is a common feeling, especially when parents do not know how their child will spend the day or who they are going to spend it with.
They do not know how the teacher will respond to emergencies, for example, if the child gets into a fight. However, parents can still get it right from the first day if they become more familiar with common safety rules at school and encourage their children to be conscious of their safety.
Common Safety Rules at School
Keep Contact Information
Give your child a list of contact numbers in case of emergency, for example, a friend’s or a relative’s number, someone most likely to be home, and get the situation under control. Make sure your child knows his full name and address and memorizes the easiest number to reach you.
Keep Your Child’s Name Invisible
Avoid putting your child’s name on clothing, backpack, or jackets. Do not make his name visible to strangers. You do not want a stranger to call out your child’s name, as this may lead to breaching your child’s safety.
Get Involved
Get yourself more involved in your child’s school routine. Ask him open-ended questions about how his day went and teach your child to talk to you, your teacher, or a trusted adult about his concerns or needs. If you notice anything uncomfortable or see that your child encountered a problem at school, always bring the issue up with the teacher and ensure that safety rules at school are applied to avoid similar situations.
Educate Yourself
Learn about the policies and procedures for safety rules at school. Be familiar with school lockdowns and other emergencies, and check if your child knows how to handle emergencies and who to contact in case of an emergency. Being familiar with this information in school can give him the confidence to act more quickly in emergencies.
Keep Your Child Safe from and to School
Ensure your child walks and rides in well-lit areas and does not take shortcuts. Always encourage your child to be with a friend or stay with a group while waiting at the bus stop or riding a bike. These very simple policies can help increase safety rules at school and outside the school for your child.
Follow Simple Safety Rules
Please encourage your child to be more conscious of his safety. Ask your child never to accept rides or gifts from strangers unless you or a trusted adult gives the permission. Make sure that your child knows what can put him in danger. If your child does not feel comfortable with someone, encourage him to get away immediately and call for help.
Always Share Your Concerns
Teach your child to talk about his concerns or needs. Always talk to your child about safety rules at school and encourage him to talk to you or a trusted adult about his concerns or problems at school. Communicating issues is the first step toward fostering solutions and ensuring safety for your child.
Check First
Encourage your child to check first before doing anything. The basic rule is to always check with a parent or another trusted adult if a stranger is asking for help or if someone they do not know is saying there is an emergency and wants to take them out of school.
Do Not Change Plans
Ask your child if they wish to change plans after school; they need to check with you first and have your permission. For example, if they want to play in parks or go anywhere with a friend, you have to be aware of this change in plan and stay in contact with your child. Also, be sure that you know where he is going and has all the contact information he needs in case of an emergency.
Trust Your Feelings
Ask your child to trust their feelings if they feel scared or uncomfortable about someone. Do not let them accept gifts from strangers or talk to anyone they feel uncomfortable about unless this person is a trusted friend or relative.
Talk about Safety Rules at School
Use communication to talk to your child about safety rules at school. Explain to your child what to do in case of an emergency or when they feel unsafe. Also, encourage them to communicate their concerns and talk about what makes them scared or uncomfortable with teachers or staff members at school.
Increase Safety Rules at School
Go the extra mile to keep your child safe in every way possible. You can talk to the school principal about ways to increase safety rules at school. This can include organizing a neighborhood watch with other parents before and after school. Parents groups can also improve traffic safety rules during times of drop-off and pick-up from school.
Stay on the Lookout for Dangerous Situations
Let your child understand that it is important to look for situations they feel uncomfortable about, even if they consider them minor. This way, your child can understand more about the types of problems they may face and be more prepared to protect themselves from the danger. Also, encourage your child to get the right help and let staff members take care of the situation while it is still brewing.
Report Problems
Encourage your child to get problems reported to staff members at school. This will make your child and other students feel more at ease and encourage staff members to stay safe at school. Teach your child to report problems, even if they only involve whisperings of potential issues, before the problem escalates to the point that it requires a major intervention.
Create a Barrier in Case of Conflict
Teach your child the importance of building a barrier if they are dealing with conflict. Without this barrier, it will be difficult for your child to handle any conflict or keep themselves safe. Creating a barrier can be either physical or getting other people or school authorities involved.
Avoid Bullying
Always give your full support and teach your child that bullying is a major violation of safety rules at school. To protect themselves, they need to understand that it is essential to avoid bullying other students. Your child should also be aware that if they want to remain safe and feel better about going to school, they need to know how to avoid the bully.
No Weapons on School Property
Your child has to be aware that bringing weapons to school is extremely dangerous and is considered a major violation of safety rules at school. Although certain teachers are allowed to bring guns to school to protect themselves from school shootings, no one else is allowed to have a gun on the school property.
Keeping your child safe in school might not be an easy job; however, you can now feel less worried by following these safety rules at school. In this sense, you and your child need to be fully aware of various safety rules at school and follow them carefully. By knowing more about safety rules at school, you can feel more at ease while your child is happily enjoying the learning process at school.
Therefore, it is essential to teach your child about these safety rules and even educate yourself about common policies and safety procedures followed and applied by schools in your area. This is better to guarantee your children’s safety and academic progress.