It’s back-to-school time, and parents and students are highly anticipating a great school year. That said, everyone has to be alert for dangers all around. We’ll tackle several back-to-school issues to prepare you and your school-age children for a safe school year.

Phone Numbers

With today’s technological world, kids need to know more phone numbers than ever before. To make things a little easier, use your home computer to make a listing of all important numbers for your children. Place the numbers on business cards (which can be easily purchased at any office supply store) and have the card laminated. Don’t forget that you can use both sides.

If your child is old enough to carry a wallet, the phone listing will slip inside easily. If he/she is younger, you can punch a hole in the card and lace it into their school backpack, so they will not lose it.

Car Safety

Please be sure everyone is properly seat-belted into your vehicle before putting the car into gear. Younger kids should be in car seats or booster seats, and they should sit in the back seat if they are younger than 12 years old.

Drop kids off as close to the school as possible. If the school has a drop off area, be sure to use it. Don’t set a bad example by dropping them in a dangerous location. If the kids are young, wait until they are in the school yard or building before you leave.

Bike Safety

Please teach your kids that bikes have rules to follow, just like cars. Each year there are children injured or killed, because they are riding on the wrong side of the street, they fail to stop at a stop sign, or they fail to follow some other rule of the road. Don’t forget their helmets! It’s not only safer, it’s the law.

Walking to School the Safe Way

Plan the route your kids are going to take if they are walking to school. It’s important to try to minimize the number of streets they have to cross. Keep it as simple as possible. Teach your kids to keep away from vacant lots, fields, and any other locations that have few people around.

Also, please make sure that your kids don’t walk alone, especially if they are young. Predators look for the kids that are all alone. It’s much more difficult to deal with a bunch of kids, so they normally don’t approach kids in a crowd.

Family Meeting Spot

Make sure to pick out a family meeting spot that can be used in case of an emergency. When there is a crisis, things get confusing. If they know where they are supposed to meet you, you will both be calmer when you need it.

Stranger Safety

Teach your kids not to talk to strangers. They shouldn’t accept presents or rides from them. Also, be sure to pick a family password. This word will be used if someone different is picking them up from school, sports, or other locations. It should be a weird word, like “spaghetti”-- one that someone wouldn’t be able to guess. If too many people have heard your word, change it!

After School Safety

If the kids are alone after school for a short time make sure that they follow some basic guidelines:

n They should keep the doors locked.

n They should never tell someone on the phone that there are no adults at home.

n Teach them to say that you can’t come to the phone right now.

n Post a list of emergency phone numbers near the phone.

n Have them call you at work or on your cell phone as soon as they get home.

n Set up rules on what kind of food they can prepare. Younger children should never use the stove without adult supervision.

n Be sure to set up guidelines on whom they can have over (if anyone) and what they are allowed to do.

We encourage you to cut out this article and place it on your refrigerator or some other place that can be easily seen. For more back-to-school safety tips, contact your local law enforcement agency.