Safety this School Year

It’s that time of year again- when children are headed back to school. It’s a time of new beginnings, new friendships, new memories, and…new schedules.


As parents, we must coordinate new schedules around work and our daily lives with the start of the new school year. It’s extremely important to become organised to ensure the safety and flow of our work schedules as well as children’s schedules this coming year.

This time of year can be one of the most chaotic times for parents. Be sure to take the necessary steps to minimise the stress load. During higher times of stress, the risk for injury among families can become higher. Coordinate car pool schedules with neighbours and friends. Finding car-pool buddies and other parents you can coordinate your schedules with will eliminate a lot of headache down the road.

Ensuring Safety: Children

There are many places where our children have the risk of becoming injured. We can probably think of many of these places, but one of the most common places is outside during recess or after school activities. The risk of serious injury or danger is much higher in these places because of the dangers that come with playsets and outdoor equipment.

It’s vital, as parents, to be sure we visit and carefully inspect where our children will spend time outdoors this year. In fact, nearly 25 percent of child injury outdoors comes from the improper supervision from teachers and staff members. With a visual inspection during the first few weeks of school, as parents we can eliminate or reduce areas that we believe pose a risk to our children. Be sure to communicate with school personnel so they are aware of the dangerous and risky situations that could pose a threat to other students as well.

Ensuring Safety: Elders

One area which is often overlooked during the start of the school year is also the safety of our elders. With many of our parents in their retirement age, we will all face the decision of placing our parents into nursing homes if we feel the need for this type of supervision.

Just as we do for our children, it’s important to properly inspect where our elders will be staying as well. Just like with teachers, nursing home caregivers can also pose a threat of injury or risk for our elders. Ensuring their homes meet the standards and commonplace practises of other homes is vital. Nearly a quarter of parents do not re-visit their elder’s homes after placing them in homes. Nursing Home Safety is extremely important for all, and ensuring the health and well-being of our parents and grandparents this year should also make the top of the list.

Checklist

As we enter into a new school year, be sure to do the following:

* Inspect where your children will be spending a lot of time- areas include playgrounds, after school facilities, and transportation methods

* Be sure to coordinate schedules and times to arrange transportation with other parents. This will allow for more time and eliminate stressful situations

* If you have a teen, be sure they are aware of the dangers while travelling to school. Texting and driving should be eliminated, and parents need to ensure they talk with teens about the dangers.

* Check on your elders! They often go unnoticed and should not be forgotten. Their daily lives depend on caregivers, and it is our duty to ensure these caregivers meet our requirements for practising safe behaviours.

Comment below to let us know some of the safe behaviours you will be sure to practise this year!

**this is a collaborative post