The world is ever-changing, and there are many dangers that exist outside of the home and even in the home for some children. As a parent, you probably want to do everything in your willpower to keep your children as safe as possible so that nothing happens to them in the world. It is important that your child know basic safety tips so that they know what to do when they encounter an emergency situation. Continue reading below to learn five of the most important, but also some of the easiest, safety tips that you can teach to your children starting today.
1. Look Both Ways
The first safety tip that your child needs to know involves their safety from vehicles and from roadways, especially as vehicles have the potential to seriously injure a child. Before your child runs out into the road, you want to teach them the importance of looking both ways because every road will not have portable traffic barricades. If children are playing a sport outside with their friends or siblings, they will often run into the road to catch the ball. Teach your child that it is better for something to happen to the ball than for something to happen to them by just running out into the road.
2. Learn Contact Information
Another safety tip that you should be sure to teach your children is to memorize basic contact information about themselves and about their families. Try to teach even your preschoolers one phone number or 911 so that they know where to call in emergency situations. If your children were to wander off or get lost, it is important for them to know their home address and how to contact you as well. This can help emergency personnel in returning your children to safety when an emergency may happen.
3. Stranger Danger
If there is a stranger in public who simply says hello to your child while you are present, it may be okay for your child to respond. If that stranger tries to strike up a conversation with your child or asks your child to go with them, this should send red flags. Teach your children to not go anywhere with any stranger unless it is a police officer or a fireman. Teach your children to look for strangers who may be okay to reach out for help from that they can trust if they feel as if they are in danger.
4. Do Not Touch
Teach your children to have boundaries about their bodies as this can help them avoid having something like assault happen to them. Teach them especially that the areas that are covered by a bathing suit should be completely off-limits. Ensure that your child is not afraid to share when something like this happens though by encouraging discussion so that you can get the right help for them. Ensure that you do not scare your child with this information either, and speak about it at a level that they are able to understand.
5. Keep Online Information Private
If you have young children, you may not want to allow them to be online with your supervision. Once your children reach adolescence, however, it may be okay for them to be online as long as they follow the guidelines you have put in place. Instruct your children to not share personal information about themselves and to not give their password to anyone they do not know. Explain that if they encounter a cyberbully, they should not respond and instead reach out to you as the parents or another trusted adult.
Monitor what your children see on social media. If they are under 13, they should not be on social media apps at all to protect them from seeing harmful content. If they are over this age, look into how to make Tiktok safer for your child before allowing them to view these social media apps.
Final Thoughts
Children should be able to live happy and free lives where they can experience all that the world has to offer. Unfortunately, there are dangerous situations for children throughout the world, both in the online space and in real life, which you have to teach your children to avoid. Ensure that they always remain safe and that you lessen the risk of a tragic situation by teaching your children the tips above. They can start to learn even when they are the age of a toddler, though the learning can continue well into adolescence too.
