SECURITY TIPS FOR CHILDREN RETURNING TO SCHOOL

Summer vacations are over, and children are excited to return to school! The thrill of flaunting a new school bag, wearing a nice raincoat, and meeting friends after a long gap is unparalleled. However, amid all this excitement, our duty as parents is to remind and revise some basic, simple, yet very important rules regarding security with our children.

• Let us see what these rules are:
• Make the kids memorise your mobile numbers so that you can be easily contactable in cases of emergency. Ask them to divulge the numbers only to school authorities and not to strangers.
• Revisit the school route to and fro with your child, whether they travel by school bus or private vans. It can help them in case of route diversions during monsoons.
• Revise emergency plans with the kids regarding pick-up from school, like staying with teachers if they miss the bus or parents are late for pick-up. Also, ask them to wait at the bus stop and not wander around if you’re late for pick-up.
• Have a neighbour as a guardian to watch or bring your child back if you get late for pick-up. Coach the child to only come back with that person.
• Remind the kids not to talk to strangers and never to accept lifts, gifts, or food from them.
• Most importantly, revise the rules of ‘good touch, bad touch’ with the kids so that they understand a person’s intentions much before any irreparable damage is inflicted on their tender bodies and minds.

These simple rules go a long way in ensuring your child has a happy and safe return to school!

Lt. Colonel Omar Pathare (R), Security Consultant & Founder – Fortify Security Consulting
www.fortifysecurityconsulting.com , 9930136932