Back to School Safety Starts at Home

Back-to-school season quickly snuck up on us. Backpacks and pencil cases quickly replaced bathing suits and flip-flops, and fall is just around the corner. As parents send their children off to start the next grade, know that school safety starts before they ever leave home.

When children are young, parents can make sure they get up on time, feed them a nutritious breakfast and walk them to the bus stop.

As they get older and seek more independence, gentle wakeup calls will be replaced by an alarm clock with a snooze button. Sit-down breakfasts will be traded for a piece of toast as they run out the door. And parents likely won’t be needed at the bus stop anymore.

A Watchful Eye

That doesn’t mean children need to be completely on their own. Parents should make sure they have a clear view of their child’s route to the bus stop from a window in their home.

Whether parents watch them unabashedly from a front picture window or need to sneak a peek from an upstairs bedroom window, they’ll feel better knowing their child made it to his or her destination in the morning.

Older kids might also be coming home to an empty house. Make sure they have a key and know where they can find a spare, whether it’s tucked under a mat, hidden under a window ledge or kept with a trusted neighbor.

Rely on Technology

Even if parents can’t be there when their child gets home from school, they can still make sure children are safe and sound. Many home security systems offer surveillance services so parents can keep an eye on the front door from afar by enabling users to log into their accounts from their smart phones or work computers.

And, if children have a smart phone, parents can download a GPS tracking app. The location service on a tween or teen’s phone will allow a parent to track where they are at any given moment from a smart phone or computer for peace of mind.

Photo: horizontal.integration