By Michael, on July 31st, 2012 
As your child gets older you realize you can’t always be by their side to make sure that they are being safe. No matter the age of your child there are different precautions that you teach your child to keep them out of harm’s way.
Car and road safety:
Children tend to forget about the basic looking ‘left, right then left again’ road crossing rules when their parents are not around. Repeat this practice over and over again. They need to be aware of their surroundings and always watch for cars. Also seatbelt safety is key to saving their life, no matter if they are in the backseat or the front seat.
Stranger safety:
This is often a difficult one teach to children because you don’t want to scare them or have them worry constantly. Children need to never speak to someone they do not know and to be wary of places like bus stops, parks and being home alone of strangers. Teach them to under ANY circumstances to NEVER get into a car with a stranger. They need to be aware that strangers will say and do anything like have candy, puppies or even tell a child that their mom said it was okay. If your child is ever confronted they need to know they are to run in the other direction and tell a parent.
Whether it is a bad weather emergency or a stranger confrontation, have emergency plans planned out. Make a very short and simple list of ‘what to do’ during an emergency and practice the plan with your children often. The first thing on that list should be for them to dial 911 and depending on what the emergency event is, plan accordingly.
Teach your child the dangers of fire; whether they are camping or at come helping you cook. They need to know what to do in case of a fire and the warning signs there is a fire, like smoke and a hot door handle. Teach them to unplug all appliances when they are finished with them and to immediately evacuate a building if there are signs of smoke. You can get more information on fire safety from your local fire station.
Knowing the facts
Having your child memorize their full name, your full name, phone number and house address can be a life saver if needed. If you child is ever lost, they will be able to notify an adult of this information. This will be much easier for the adult to find you and reunite you more quickly. Practice by quizzing your kids on a routine basis of their information.
Author Byline:
Monta the mother of three children serves as an Expert Advisor on multiple household help issues to many Organizations and groups, and is a mentor for other “Mom-preneurs” seeking guidance. She is a regular contributor of “find nannies". You can get in touch with her at montafleming6Atgmail dotcom.
