| By :
Mark Etinger
August is a dreadful month for children, but probably the happiest month for parents. That's right! It's time to prepare for another rousing good school year. Besides worrying about what color notebooks and pens to purchase, both you and your child need to think about family safety. Even if you aren't a parent, there will be kids out and about and therefore, you need to be watchful and learn about important family safety tips. School time equals buses and children almost everywhere you look. Drivers need to be on the lookout for children boarding and leaving the bus. They might be excited to see their friends and run across the street without looking. This is no time to be fiddling with the satellite radio and talking on your Bluetooth. You should never be a distracted driver, but now is really not the time. Just like drivers need to be aware, so do children. Children should understand the importance of bus safety, such as remaining in your seat at all times. Children waiting for the bus should not approach it until the bus has come to a complete stop and they always need to look for oncoming traffic. One safety measure not many parents think of is backpack safety. I've seen quite a number of kids about to tip over because their bag is almost twice the size of their body and filled with about 15 pounds of books. A messenger bag looks cool, but it's not very good on the shoulders. Instead, choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps -both straps should be used. Pack heavier items closest to the center and the bag should never weight more than 10-20% of your child's body weight. Bullying is one topic that can't be glossed over when discussing child safety tips. Nowadays, it's the quintessential topic. Your child should never feel unsafe and scared to go to school. Bullying happens to just about everyone at some point in time and it doesn't always include physical violence. Name calling and teasing can be just as painful, if not worse. Kids have to understand that bullies are looking for both attention and power. Ignoring them and not reacting is your best defense. Children should just walk away from the situation. If not, they must do their best not to show their emotions. Bullies want you to get angry or to cry. Distract your mind and be assertive when you tell them to stop. Violence is never the answer with bullies. Children need to always speak with an adult and report the problem. Don't forget to teach your children about helping others if they see there is bullying occurring. Not doing anything can just exacerbate the problem. The school year should be an exciting one, not a fearful one. Help you children have a pleasant year by teaching them the importance of child and family safety.
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