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Back to school safety tips

Fidelity group shares safety tips for children going back to school.

With most schools around the country reopening on January 11 for the academic year, there is excitement among learners who look forward to new friends and new experiences.

Children need to be reminded about safety protocols when arriving and leaving school. With many parents working, school transfers, au pairs and lift shares are very common. It is not always easy for the school to keep track of how children are arriving or leaving.

Basic safety protocols are particularly relevant following the spate of kidnappings reported last year.
Charnel Hattingh, Fidelity ADT’s head of group marketing and communications, has advice to help increase peace of mind.

She suggests sharing the following tips with children, encouraging them to practice them every day:
• If being picked up at school, either by yourself or an au pair or lift scheme, remind your child to wait inside the grounds.

• Remind your children that you would not send someone they don’t know to fetch them. Children should never get into a stranger’s car, even if that person claims that someone they love is hurt and was sent to pick them up. It is a good idea to consider using a password system. Your child will then know that the correct person is collecting them and who they can trust.

• Parents should always notify the school if there is a change in transport arrangements to manage the situation and alert the child.

•Tell your children not to talk to a stranger in the parking lot, no matter how friendly they may seem. If someone tries to grab them, they need to fight, kick and scream to alert others of the danger.

• Children who live close enough to school to walk home, should ideally always walk to or from school with a friend or friends. If your child walks alone, ask a teacher or other parents if they know of other children from the area who do the same. Some areas have started “walking buses”, where local parents volunteer to walk to and from school with a group of schoolchildren to assure their safety.

• Stick to streets you know and never take shortcuts through unfamiliar or quiet areas.
In some cases, when parents are working all day and domestic helpers may not be around the full day, children have to keep themselves occupied until mom and dad return home in the evening.

“It is important that the child knows not to let anyone into the house without your permission. If you are going to be late, let your children know as soon as possible and give them an idea of when they can expect you to be home,” said Hattingh.

She suggests drawing up a list of important telephone numbers. “This list must include emergency services and both their parents’ work and cell phone numbers. Save it on your child’s cell phone and stick it on or near the land line. It’s also important to explain to them when these should be used.”

Hattingh added that everyone in the household – children included – should know how to use your home security system and when and how to use the panic buttons.

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