Four quick safety reminders for parents of children heading back to school in the next week:
- If you haven’t talked to your kids about bullies all summer, it’s time for a refresher. Bullying is a threat to a child’s physical and emotional health and safety. Help your child learn to identify, prevent and stop bullying when they see it. Learn more at StopBullying.gov.
- Most kids carry a lot of weight in their backpacks, which can lead to neck, back and shoulder injuries. See 5 Tips for Backpack Safety for a few easy ways to prevent these injuries.
- The majority of elementary and middle school injuries happen on the playground. The most severe – like head injuries, or fractures –are from falls.School playgrounds should not have equipment on asphalt, concrete or dirt surfaces. Other injuries can be prevented by proper playground behavior: no pushing, shoving, or crowding.
- Hundreds of pedestrians are hurt or killed every year on their way to or from school. Even if your kids take a bus, or don’t have far to walk, go over pedestrian safety rules before school starts. Looking left-right-left for cars, finding the right places to cross the street, and other safe walking behaviors can be found in the Safe Routes to School guide.
Have a safe and happy school year.
