Safety Tips for School Kids

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A New Mexico State University family specialist says parents of school-aged children need to keep safety in mind now that school has started. Anna María Pérez-Wright has a few tips.

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As kids go back to school, parents need to teach them a few safety rules. Child and Family Life Specialist Diana Del Campo with New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service says sometimes parents are uncomfortable teaching safety because they think it will make children feel scared.

"The more information we can give kids and the more competence and self-reliance we can build up, really, the better they feel. So teaching them safety tips just like you teach them how to read or to tie their shoes is really important."

Children need to know their phone number and address, a parent's work number or the number of another trusted adult. They should also learn how to use 911 for emergencies. Del Campo says parents should also plan a walking route to school or the bus stop and practice walking the route with the kids.

"Make sure that they're with someone else when they take this route to school or to the bus stop. If you take your kids to school, make sure that you see them go in the building. It's not only important for your peace of mind, but it also helps in case they have some peer pressure maybe to cut school."

For more back-to-school safety tips for parents, Del Campo suggests visiting the National Crime Prevention Council's Web site at www.ncpc.org. For N-M-S-U's College of Agriculture and Home Economics, I'm Anna María Pérez-Wright.