11 back-to-school safety tips parents need to share with kids

The beginning of each school year is a good time to remind kids of all ages about getting to and from school safely. Parents often think of young children and reminding them to look both ways before crossing the street but there are other things that need to be considered, for both young children and for teens. The author gives suggestions for both those children who ride the school bus as well as those that walk to school.

Key Takeaways:

• While waiting for the bus to arrive, kids should stand back several steps from the curb. This is especially important to discuss with children if a parent can’t accompany them to the bus stop. Teach children to wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before attempting to board or exit.
• Again, it’s important to teach children to look left, right and left again before crossing the street — and continue looking until they have safely crossed. Teach children not to run or dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
• Developmentally, most children are unable to judge the speed and distance of oncoming cars until age 10. Therefore, they should be accompanied by an adult. Remind children to be on high alert for cars that are turning or backing up.

“While waiting for the bus to arrive, kids should stand back several steps from the curb. This is especially important to discuss with children if a parent can’t accompany them to the bus stop.”

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