3 Tips For Having Your Kids Safely Walk To School Each Morning

With school starting again soon, many parents are having to put their summer schedules to bed and start having a more solid school-time routine. Depending on the age of your children, you might have some that are going through big transitions this year. One of these transitions might just be allowing your child to walk to school, whether you allow them to do this alone or along with you. But to help ensure that they’re able to make it from home to school and back safely, here are three tips for having your kids safely walk to school each morning.

Teach Proper Street Crossing Etiquette

The last thing you want to happen to your child is for them to get hit by a car or cause some type of car accident because they weren’t being safe while walking to school. To keep this from happening, it’s vital that you teach your children proper street crossing etiquette. Remember, your kids look to you as an example in everything, so make sure you’re always following the right rules and law as well. According to Children’s Health, you should stress to your child the importance of always crossing the street at a crosswalk, looking both ways before you move into the road, and obeying any traffic signals or crossing guards they might encounter on their way to school.

Dress Them In The Right Clothing

Another thing you should be teaching your child about being a safe pedestrian is the importance of being seen by other pedestrians or drivers on the road. According to SafeKids.org, the worst thing your child can do when walking to school is to be wearing dark clothes when it’s still slightly dark outside. This can make it challenging for drivers to see your child and give them the distance they need to walk safely. So to make sure your kids are seen when walking to school, having them dress in bright colors or at least get them a backpack that can easily be seen from a distance.

Consider Walking As A Group

If you aren’t quite ready to have your child walk to school alone but also don’t have to be the one having to accompany them each day, HealthyChildren.org suggests speaking with other parents in your neighborhood to see if you can create some type of walking group. If you have multiple families who want their children to walk to school, you can switch off which parents walk with the group each morning, giving you a break every few days but still ensuring that your kids are safe and supervised on their walks to and from school.

To get your kids safely to school and back each day, consider using the tips mentioned above to help them walk to school in safety.