Teach your children to memorise their name, surname, home address and your contact details
JOBURG – ADT shares safety tips for children.
Fidelity ADT encourages parents to apply strict measures in ensuring that their children keep safe during the school holidays.
The schools closed on 29 September and the security company said during school holidays it is an ideal opportunity for parents to ensure that their children know how to be safe.
Read: Safety, inside and out for your littlies
Stuart Clarkson, managing executive for Fidelity ADT, said personal safety must be part of your child’s education.
He said the September school break could be used as a dry run to test that your children know about personal safety.
“If we can teach them how to fend for themselves throughout the year, we don’t have to start from scratch when a long end-of-year holiday arrives,” said Clarkson.
“It starts at home. Your children must know to always keep all entrances and gates closed and locked and that nobody should be allowed to enter without permission from either parent.
“If you have a home security system installed, teach them how to activate and deactivate it and how and when to use other security devices like panic buttons.”
It is a good idea to have a list of emergency contact numbers available and inform your children about who to contact if they need help.
“The telephone numbers for the local police station, your private security company, the emergency number for your neighbourhood watch and possibly a trusted neighbour should definitely be on that list.
“If your child must leave the safety of your home for whatever reason, make sure they tell you where they are going and when they are expected to arrive. Try and identify any safe spaces along the route where your child could call for help in case they need it.”
He said instead of starting these safety training sessions anew, it makes more sense to instil a sense of responsibility in your children that they follow throughout the year.
Read: Build a community for safety
As much as we would love to look after our children 24/7, Clarkson said there will come a time when they have to fend for themselves adding that parents have to prepare and equip them for these situations.
Edited by Stacey Woensdregt
