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Back-to-School Safety Tips
As school gets underway again, it’s a prime time for parents to go over some safety protocol with their little ones.
Follow these quick-and-easy tips to help kiddos stay safe.
The 10 Spot
by AMITIS POURARIAN
1
Don’t put your child's name
on clothing, backpacks, lunch
boxes, etc. where it's easily
visible to others. Instead, put their
name on the inside, so the article can be
identified but a stranger can’t approach
your child and use their name as a way to
create familiarity.
2
Have a password between you
and your child that no one
knows. In the event someone
other than yourself needs to pick them
up, the person must say that password;
otherwise, your child should not go.
3
If your child walks home and
has a cell phone, advise them
not to be engulfed in it. They
should be paying attention to their
surroundings and cars approaching
them.
4
Whether your kiddo walks to
school or plays at a
playground, predators often
attempt to lure their prey. Make sure
your child knows they shouldn’t talk
with, or even help, a stranger. If
someone they don’t know asks for help,
teach them not to approach and instead
get an adult to help them.
5
Teach your kids the
difference between a secret
and a surprise. Make sure they
know to tell you if someone tells them a
secret.
6
Encourage your child to
communicate with you
regularly, so in the event of an
incident involving something like a
stranger approaching them, they know
to tell you.
7
name.
8
Confirm your child knows a
parent's cell phone number
(including area code) and full
Predators typically prefer their
prey to be compliant, so teach
your child to kick, punch, and
scream in the event they’re grabbed.
9
If your child rides their bike to
school, teach them to latch
onto it if someone attempts to abduct
them; it’ll make it that much harder for
the offender to take them.
10
If your child is approached by a
car while they’re walking, teach
them to walk away from the car
(opposite direction the car is traveling).
Amitis Pourarian is a seventh-degree
black belt and owner of THE STUDIO
Martial Arts and Fitness in Roseville. For
more child safety tips and to sign up for
a workshop or self-defense class, visit
trainatthestudio.com.
10 Spot top image ©Konstantin Yuganov - stock.adobe.com. 10 Spot bottom image ©Newman Studio - stock.adobe.com.
20 stylefedh.com // AUGUST 2018 // /stylefedh /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemagfedh