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[B61]Back To School For Kids

by Karen Peralta, Kar

Parent drivers must remain watchful. Children dart unexpectedly into traffic, often from between parked cars. And young pedestrians face a variety of dangers while walking to and from school. Here are a few basic safety tips to follow:

•Mind all traffic signals and the crossing guard.
•Walk your bike through intersections.
•Walk with a buddy.
•Wear reflective material. It makes you more visible to street traffic.

The US Dep't. of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests the following safe bicycling practices:

•Always wear a helmet.
•Always ride on the right side of the road. Never ride against traffic.
•Ride single file. When passing other bikers or pedestrians, let them know your position by shouting out something like, "On your left!"
•Always check behind you before changing lanes.
•Watch out for dangerous things in the roadway. Litter, potholes, gravel and storm drains all can cause you to lose control.
•Stop at all stop signs and at all traffic lights. Be extra careful at crossroads.
•Always signal before making a left or right turn.
•Maintain control of your bike. Don't swerve or make sudden turns.
•Use caution when riding next to parked cars to avoid injury from someone suddenly opening a car door in front of you.
•Listen for cars approaching from the side or behind you.
•Don't follow a car too closely. You may be in the blind spot, where the driver cannot see you, and you may be unable to stop if the car comes to a sudden halt.
•Know your road signs and obey them.
•Always be prepared to stop.
•Wear brightly colored clothing.
•Don't wear headphones, loose clothing or inappropriate shoes.

Remember these safety tips for entering and exiting the school bus:

•Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.
•Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop.
•When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk ten steps away from the bus. Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are away from the bus.
•Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.
•Be aware of street traffic. Drivers are required to follow the rules of the road concerning school buses, but not all do. Protect yourself and watch out.

You may think that riding in a car is completely safe. But there are still rules you must follow to avoid accidents when riding in a car:

•Don't forget that most traffic crashes occur close to home.
•Safety belts are the best form of protection in the event of a crash. Everyone needs to be buckled up properly: older kids in seat belts, younger kids in booster seats and toddlers in child safety seats.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has a "Back to School Safety Checklist" with tips on making schools, child care facilities and playgrounds safer. Hidden hazards from the checklist include the following:

Playgrounds -- Check the surfaces around equipment. There should be a 12-inch depth of wood chips, mulch, sand or pea gravel, or there should be mats made of safety-tested rubber or fiber material to prevent head injury when a child falls.

Drawstrings on jackets and sweatshirts -- Remove them from around the neck. They can cause strangulation by catching on things. Cut drawstrings at the waist or bottom of jackets to three inches.

Window blind cords -- If the windows in your home, childcare centers or schools have blinds, cut the loop and attach separate tassels to prevent entanglement.

Recalled Products -- You can get up-to-date recall and product safety information by checking out CPSC's web site on your home or school computer. Sign up to get free recall notices by fax, e-mail or regular mailing by calling CPSC's hotline or writing to CPSC, Washington, D.C. 20207.

The information in this article was compiled from the National Safety Council website at http://www.nsc.org , CPSC's website at http://www.cpsc.gov, and an article on Back to School Safety on the AT&T website at http://www.att.com.

If you have children, late July, August and early September represents more than summer ending, cooler weather and fall foliage. School begins once again for millions of kids across the country. Getting your child prepared, regardless of whether they are in Kindergarten or a senior in high school, is a must. Here are some tips to make the transition from several weeks of summer fun to school days and homework easier.

Children in Kindergarten – 5th grade

1. About a week before school starts, have your children go to bed at the time they will when school begins. Set their alarm or wake them up early. It's difficult for some kids to adjust to going to bed and getting up earlier after having an entire summer of sleeping in or staying up late. Many young children need to be on a schedule and preparing a week or so earlier will pay off, especially if you have a night owl or late sleeper.

2. If you have a school supply list (many school districts post them on their website or hand them out the last day of school), buy the supplies early. For the child who is not organized, this is a good way to begin the school year off on the right foot. Label everything and get the backpacks ready the night before school starts. Buy some extra supplies to keep at home if your child is one to lose or forget their pencils or markers at school. They will probably need some basic supplies for homework time. Nothing is more frustrating than sitting down to do homework and discovering the basics are missing.

3. If you have a Kindergartener, walk to school two or three days before school begins (or drive if they take a bus or you will be driving them). This helps acquaint them with what they will actually be doing that first day and can work wonders for alleviating the first-day jitters. If your child is especially anxious, ask if you can let them visit their new classroom for five or ten minutes the day before school starts. Many principals will let the Kindergarteners come to the campus prior to school starting.

Middle School

1. Many sixth graders will be attending a new school for their middle school years. Oftentimes, the campus is much bigger and can be intimidating. Of course pre-teens may not admit they are nervous, but most parents are. Suggest a bike ride over to the school sometime during August just to look around. Many middle schools conduct orientation anyway a couple of days before school actually begins, but an extra trip without all of their peers might be worthwhile.

2. Just as in elementary school, it is important, if not more so in middle school, to have all the school supplies ready, especially an organizer. Some schools make it mandatory for the students to purchase an organizer directly from the school. Get in the habit from day one of checking it and being sure homework assignments are recorded. Visit the school website and see if homework and grades will be posted on the site. This is an excellent way to stay involved with your child's progress throughout the year.

3. If your student struggles with the basics; math or language arts, consider hiring a tutor for some review sessions before and during the first semester. Also, it is quite common in middle school for students who are excelling to be moved to Honors classes sometime during the year. Being in an accelerated class is a good way to prepare a student for Advanced Placement (AP) classes in high school, which count as college credit.

HIGH SCHOOL

1. Find out when the PSAT and SAT exams will take place. If your student is not a good test taker, consider enrolling them in a test prep class. As colleges become more and more competitive, test scores make a difference. One can take the exam more than once if they are not happy with the score, so plan ahead and register early.

2. Stay tuned in to your student's school and social schedule. There is a tremendous amount of freedom in high school and even the most academically gifted students can be distracted by all of the things that are associated with the teenage years. Establish a curfew for school nights and limit the amount of time that is spent at a part-time job or involved in sports, especially if time management and study skills are not your child's forte.

3. If your son or daughter is college-bound, start doing your research and be sure to attend the college nights that many high schools sponsor. Know what is expected on college applications. It is no longer a simple process like it was for the baby boomer generation. Test scores, a formal essay, volunteer hours, and class selection in high school are all important factors in getting into college. Take advantage of the many companies that exist today solely for the purpose of assisting you and your student select the right college for them.

Regardless of the age and grade of your children, stay involved. Volunteering on any level, whether it be reading stories to your elementary aged child's second grade class, helping in the computer lab in middle school, or being on a committee for peer counseling in high school, it is important to know what is happening at the place your children spend a large part of their week. With so many parents working, many Parent Teacher Associations have their meetings in the evening, so more parents can attend. There are activities that need volunteers that do not involve daytime hours such as calling parents in the evening for a fundraiser or helping with a weekend car wash at high school.

These tips can help your children get back to school the right way and prepare them for a year of learning and fun.

Article Source : internet safety tips for parents

About Author

Both Karen Peralta & Laurie Hurley are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Karen Peralta has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Humour and Food and Drink. Karen Cole-Peralta is the Executive Director of Rainbow Writing, Inc., a corporation specializing in freelance and contracted writing, copyediting, ghostwriting, graphics and CAD, Internet marketing, publishing help, search engine optimization, links exch. Karen Peralta's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.

Laurie Hurley has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Entrepreneurship and Buy a Franchise. . Laurie Hurley's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.