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PLAN NOW for a Safe, Healthy New School Year

As soon as children set out for school this year, whether by bus, on foot, or otherwise, they will encounter many potential dangers, both large and small. The nation’s pediatricians advise parents to make a back-to school safety plan with their children.” The positive excitement about the start of the school year needs to be balanced by important safety messages,” says Louis Cooper, MD, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “From discomfort caused by overloaded backpacks to the threats of angry bullies, there are many things children should be reminded of before they go back to school.” The AAP has the following tips for back-to-school safety:

Transportation:

1. Find another child in the neighborhood with whom your youngster can walk to school or ride the bus.

2. Review bus safety rules with your child: wait for the bus to stop before approaching the curb

Bullies:

1. Arm your child with some strategies for coping with bullies: don’t give in to the other child’s demands,

2. Simply walk away or tell the bully to stop.

3. Don’t cry or get upset, as bullies like nothing better.

4. If a bullying situation persists and becomes a real problem, parents should talk to the teacher.

After School:

1. Be sure your child knows where to go after school (e.g., home, babysitter), and how to get there.

2. If your child will be at home alone after school, be sure he or she knows who will be responsible for him or her, what the rules are, and how to get help in an emergency.

Backpacks:

1. Remind children to carry the minimum load in their backpacks, and to pack heavier items closer to the back. Packs should be picked up with knees bent, using the legs to lift. Both straps should be worn so weight is distributed evenly.

2. The backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of the student’s total body weight. The start of a new school year inspires a mixture of dread and anticipation in most children. Talking with them about their safety lets them know that everything possible is being done to ensure that they have a good year.

Courtesy of the AAP.