As a parent, one of your most important jobs is to teach your children how to keep themselves safe. Several programs exist to make the job easier for you. Your child's school may use programs to teach children various ways to stay safe. Look into the programs available in your area to teach your children how to avoid danger and stay safe in different types of situations.
Child Abduction Prevention Programs
Every parent's worst nightmare is that their child will be abducted by a stranger. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, more than 2,100 children go missing every day. A good number of these children are abducted by family members or acquaintances, and some are abducted by strangers. Several programs exist to teach children how to avoid being abducted. Child Lures Prevention, for example, is a program that teaches kids what types of "lures" a child molester or abductor may use. Many police stations and other organizations periodically hold "Stranger Danger" workshops for children and their parents to help teach kids how to be safe around strangers.
Bicycle Safety Programs
Children who want to ride bicycles need to learn basic information that will keep them safe. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers a Bicycle Safety Activity Kit for children to help them to stay safe while riding their bikes. The activities teach kids about the importance of wearing helmets, how to read and react to traffic signals, how to signal when they want to turn or stop and other safety issues affecting cyclists. The Bicycle Transportation Alliance also puts on bicycle safety education and awareness programs.
Gun Safety Programs
The National Rifle Association has a gun safety program for children that is hosted by a character named Eddie Eagle. In the program, children are instructed to take four steps if they encounter a gun--stop, don't touch, leave the area and tell an adult. The Utah Shooting Sports Council has developed an online gun safety program that parents can use with their children, or that schools can use with students.
Fire Safety Programs
Your local fire department may offer a fire safety program like the fire department in Seattle, Wash., does. The Seattle Fire Department offers a program to students in preschool and kindergarten about fire safety and injury prevention. Kids learn not to avoid firefighters in the case of a fire. They also are taught not to play with matches, how to stop, drop and roll, and how to crawl low under smoke in case of a fire. The U.S. Fire Administration offers an online program that children can use to learn about fire safety, smoke alarms and escaping from a fire.
Member Comments