Run through these important practices with your children to protect them.
By the time your child reaches middle school, he or she will likely know to look both ways before crossing the road and to not wander off with strangers. Even so, as older children become more independent, they become less inclined to listen to mom and dad’s advice.
For a comprehensive overview of the essential safety precautions that school-aged children should know, read on.
Pre-Teens
- Monitor social network activity. Before your child begins to participate in online communities like Facebook, talk to them about the importance of web safety. Remind them that certain pieces of information shouldn’t be shared online, and encourage them not to be ‘friends’ with people who they don’t know in real life.
- Keep texting at bay. Pre-teens often celebrate their birthdays with their first cell phone. If you’re granting texting privileges, keep a close eye on the phone bill and avert them from texting at the dinner table and constantly throughout the day.
- Equip them for sports. As your child becomes more actively engaged in sports teams, be sure that you equip them with the right safety equipment. It’s also a good idea to schedule a checkup before he or she takes to the field.
Teens
- Instill safe driving habits early on. Your teen will adapt certain driving habits from you, so make sure yours are on point. Never text and drive, and show them courteous and defensive driving on the roads.
- Working smart. If your teen has taken on a part-time job to help pay for their car, ensure that he or she is properly trained and supervised in their new position.
- Talk travel safety. High school trips are typically longer and in more foreign destinations than the ones they used to take as youngsters. Find out how you will be able to keep in contact with your teen while he or she is away, and ensure they know the safety points of traveling (stay in a group at all times!).
While you work to protect your loved ones, let the professionals handle your personal insurance needs. Contact Hoffman Brown Company for the reliable policies that you need throughout Sherman Oaks and neighboring cities in California.
