It’s one of the biggest fears for all parents—something bad happening to your kids. The world can be a scary place, so how can parents and adults prepare their kids for adulthood?
One of the best ways is by giving them the skills they need to stay safe and make smart decisions. This will help kids develop the confidence and abilities to know good decisions from bad ones.
Ready to learn more? If so, keep reading to find nine essential safety tips for kids that parents should teach their kids this year.
1. Know Your Address and Phone Number
All kids should memorize their home address and home phone number, or the cell phone number of one of their parents. This can help kids get help in case of an emergency or if they get lost.
For younger kids, you can start with their address and names of their parents, then later move up to phone numbers. To help kids out, you could also write your phone number on the inside of their backpack or jacket, so they know where to find it if they ever need to call for help.
2. Don’t Go Anywhere With Strangers
Kids need to learn from a very early age that they should never get in a car or go anywhere with strangers—even if the person claims their parents said it was ok.
Unfortunately, 29,000 cases of missing children were reported in 2019. While many were runaways, a smaller percentage are both family and non-family abductions.
Adults can be very persuasive, especially to young kids, so teach your children about stranger danger. If they’re outside or waiting after school and a stranger approaches them, run back inside and tell your teacher or call for help.
3. Be Able to Call 911
It helps to teach your children about emergency services. When and how should they call 911?
This is important information in case they need help themselves or if they are nearby when a friend or family member might be in need of help.
911 is a serious matter, so be sure to remind them only to call in case of real emergencies.
4. Don’t Give Out Personal Details Online
The internet can be overwhelming sometimes, even for adults. When it comes to online safety tips for kids, make sure they know not to give out personal information.
Once something is on the internet, such as a picture or address, it’s likely there forever and anyone can find it. Sadly, there are adults who pretend to be kids online, talking to other kids with the aim of meeting them, putting your children at risk.
Monitor your children online and limit the sites they have access to, helping them learn how to stay safe when using the internet.
5. Never Swim Without an Adult
If there’s one thing children love, it’s playing at the pool or the beach, but water safety needs to be taught to all kids.
Ideally, you want your child to learn how to swim and act in the water from a young age, as it’s an important life skill. They also need to know that they should never swim unattended.
Only swim if you’re with an adult who can actively supervise you and never go in a friend or neighbor’s pool if they aren’t home.
Accidental drownings, slips, and falls can happen in seconds, even to confident swimmers.
6. Kids Should Understand Road Safety
Road safety is something that needs to be taken seriously. Crossing the road safely on your bike or while walking can save your life, so always watch for the pedestrian light to turn green.
Then, you’ll still need to look both ways before crossing. Never cross where there’s no pedestrian crossing and never play on or near roads.
7. Basic First-Aid
You’re never too young to know about first-aid, even if it’s something as simple as putting a bandage on a cut.
Start teaching kids about basic first-aid skills, especially if your family loves camping and spending time outside. This will help your kids stay safe and healthy while still being active.
8. Stop, Drop, and Roll
When it comes to fire safety tips for kids, one of our biggest tips is to stop, drop, and roll. If you see a fire or smoke, stop what you’re doing, drop low and cover your mouth to avoid smoke, and roll if you get any flames on your clothing and need to put them out.
Fire safety can literally save lives, so this is essential for kids. To help them remember to stop, drop and roll, why not gift them with firefighter challenge coins, a reminder they can keep in their pocket at all times.
9. Trust Your Instinct
Last, teach your kids to trust their instinct. Sometimes, our gut tells us that something seems off or doesn’t feel quite right, so we need to listen!
If you’re in a situation and you’re not sure about it, get out—call for help, look for a police officer, or run into a store or shop.
10. Never Eat Anything That Someone Stranger Offers You.
This might be the most common safety rule for kids of any age. But this one is important and could save them from many troubles. As a parent, you need to talk about this rule to a kid to not take anything, especially the food from a stranger. You need to be aware of the tempting treat, so they will never fall into the trap. Talk about the dangers of this rule and make sure they follow it whether you are around or not.
Use These Safety Tips for Kids to Protect Your Family
We all want our children to stay happy, healthy, and well-adjusted, so help them grow up with these safety tips for kids. Although it can be tough to talk to kids about the dangers of the world, it’s the best way to give them the tools and knowledge they need to stay safe and thrive as adults.
Get started today and start working with your kids on these safety tips—it’s sure to help them stay safe as they become more independent.
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