Back to School Safety Tips

As a parent, you’re well aware that it can be a bit worrisome when summer draws to a close and it’s time for the little ones to go back to school.

Accidents can, and do, happen when it come school-aged children. Research shows that an estimated 2.2 million children less than 14 years old are injured in school-related accidents each year, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign. But these accidents and unintentional injuries can be avoided, and it starts when parents talk to their children about school safety, and are on the lookout for potential hazards.

Here are some helpful and practical back-to-school safety tips to help protect your children:

Plan a walking route to school.
Choose a direct route with the fewest street crossings and walk it beforehand with your child. Avoid any places where there are not a lot of people around.

Travel in groups.
If possible, be sure your child walks or rides to school with other kids, preferably along with an adult. They should never talk to anyone they do not know.

Talk about basic traffic sense.
Make sure your kids know to always walk on a sidewalk if one is available, or against traffic on the road. Always look both ways before stepping off a curb and crossing any street, which is safest at an intersection.  Never run, or dart out in front of a parked car.

Go over bicycle safety.
Along with always wearing a helmet, kids should know to always ride on the right side of the road, obey all traffic signals and come to a complete stop before crossing any street.

Teach how to ride the bus.
Kids should stay off the street and three big steps from the bus until it is at a complete stop before approaching the bus. They should be sure the bus driver can always see them, and never walk behind the bus.

The right bus behavior.
Children should always remain seated on the bus and always keep their heads and arms inside. They should wait until the bus has stopped completely before moving around.

Choose the right backpack.
Don’t over stuff a backpack. It should never weigh more than 10-20 percent of a child’s body weight. Wear both straps, and the size of the pack should match the size of the child.

Teach kids proper playground behavior.
This includes no pushing, shoving or crowding other kids.

Check the playground equipment at the school.
You can talk to your kids about what things to avoid, but check for potential hazards yourself and report them to the school.

Talk about bullying.
Give your kids strategies on how to deal with bullies and the correct responses, such as when to walk away and when to contact an adult.

We all at the South Bay Team wish you a wonderful school year!  Click on the school name below for the school supply database to help you with your back-to-school shopping!

Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach Unified Elementary Schools
American Martyrs School

Redondo Beach
Alta Vista Elementary
Jefferson Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School
Parras Middle School

The above schools have listed their supplies. For a general supply and back-to-school resource click HERE.