Back-to-school time means many different things depending on who you are. If you’re not a parent, it can simply mean more traffic during your morning commute. But for parents, back-to-school season means new classes, new schools for some and the potential exposure to new risks of injury.
In order to provide parents with some peace of mind, here are three specific risks to talk to your children about before the first day of school!
Things to Talk to Kids About
- Pedestrian safety: According to Safe Kids Worldwide, pedestrian accidents are considered the fifth highest cause of injury-related fatalities for children between the ages of 5 and 19. If your child has to walk to school, encourage him or her to walk with friends and choose a route that avoids busy streets and intersections and minimizes the number of times your child has to cross the street. If they ride a bus, remind them the importance of following the bus driver’s instructions and to never cross the street in front of a bus until the stop sign arm is out.
- After-School Safety: Many parents are unable to be home when children are finished with school for the day. If you have a “latchkey kid” who is regularly home alone after school, make sure the child knows to always keep the doors locked and security systems activated and never tell someone on the phone that no adults are home. You should also provide them with a list of emergency phone numbers.
- Backpack safety: Crowded schools, heavy textbooks and insufficient locker space often force kids to carry backpacks that are heavier than they need to be. As a result, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that 14,000 children seek treatment for backpack-related injuries every year. As a general rule, research shows a child’s backpack should be no more than 10 to 20 percent of their body weight to avoid pain or potential injury.
Helping Students Prepare for the New School Year
As the firm has done for many years, Hupy and Abraham, S.C. participates in free backpack giveaways at many community block parties and some community events such as the Malaika Early Learning Center Back-to-School Event and the Heartlove Place event. The firm also holds annual in-office school supply drives to help contribute to local initatives like the Lloyd Barbee Montessori School Back-to-School Drive! We believe this is a simple way to help families in our community who need it most.
Giving back to the community through educational outreach is only one of the things that Hupy and Abraham, S.C. does for southeastern Wisconsin. In the last three years, the firm has given more than $500,000 to nonprofits and other worthwhile organizations.
