Back to School Safety Rules

It's that time of year again.  Kids are headed back to school in the Bryan-College Station area.  If you have school-age children, it's a good time to set them down and go over some back-to-school safety rules, no matter what their ages are.

Before School Safety

1. Whether your child walks to their Bryan-College Station school or rides the bus, plan out a direct route to get there, making sure to cross as few streets and using crosswalks with crossing guards as much as possible.  After you've mapped out your route, walk it with them so they can get familiar with it.
2. There is safety in numbers.  Have your child buddy up with a sibling, neighbor or friend when walking to the bus or school.
3. Remind your children about stranger danger.  Never talk to strangers, don't accept any gifts from strangers and never under any circumstances get into a vehicle with a stranger.  Let them know the kinds of things that strangers will tell them ("I'm a friend of your mom's", "I live just up the street" or "Do you want to see my puppy?" are just a few).  Remember that a stranger is someone you and/or your kids don't know very well.  That may include neighbors you only see in passing.
4. When driving your child to their Bryan-College Station school, drop them off as close to the school as possible.  Don't leave until you see them safely into the school yard or building.
5. Traffic rules must be obeyed even if you're not in a car.  Make sure your kids understand about when to cross and not cross at a signaled intersection.  Walkers need to be extra cautious during bad weather, just like automobile drivers.  It's harder to see pedestrians in bad weather, so your kids need to be extra vigilant.

Many parents find themselves in a two-income household.  This means that your kids may find themselves alone after school for a short period of time.  If that is the case in your Bryan-College Station home, make sure you go over after-school safety rules as well.

After School Safety

1. Your kids should always lock the door behind them and keep them locked.
2. Have your kids call you as soon as they get in the house and have locked the doors so you know they are safe.
3. It's best not to answer the phone.  But, if they do, make sure they understand to never tell a person on the phone that they are alone.  If someone asks for Mommy or Daddy, your child needs to tell them that you aren't able to come to the phone at the moment but will be happy to take a message.
4. Post emergency phone numbers by the phone, including 9-1-1, your work and/or cell phone numbers and those numbers of your spouse and other trusted adults that the kids can call in case they need to.
5. Set ground rules on who they can have over (if anyone), what they are allowed to fix for a snack (young kids should never use the stove without adult supervision) and what they can do for entertainment until you get home from work.

No matter how young your children are, they should always know you and your spouse's names (not just "Mommy" and "Daddy"), what their home phone number is, your cell phone and/or work phone numbers as well as those of your spouse and their home address.  Go over all these rules often, especially at the beginning of school.  By reviewing back to school safety rules with our kids, we can make sure they continue to be safe in our Bryan-College Station neighborhoods.

Stephanie Hansson, Living the Good Life in Bryan – College Station Real Estate