Have you prepared your kids for today’s world and taught them how to navigate all the unknowns? At Hospitality Health ER in Galveston, we believe one of the most important parts of parenting is preparing your child to make safe choices.
Parents, remember how much freedom you had way back when? We’d run to the neighbor’s house or even bike to a friend’s house miles away. But times have changed and parents are more and more cautious about letting kids wander on their own freely. But the truth is we can’t keep our kids under our thumbs forever. Instead, when they’re ready for more independence, you can teach them how to be safe when they’re out and about by themselves.
Six Tips for Street Smart Parenting
- Demonstrate to your child how to cross a road safely, even as early as 2 or 3 years old. Remember the STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN approach you learned when you were a kid? Fortunately, that’s one thing that hasn’t changed! This is precisely what they need to do before they cross a road or walk through a parking lot.
- Teach your child to never take rides from strangers and to run to the nearest person or house if someone is following them or trying to get them into their car.
- Remind your kids to dress brightly if they are playing outside after sundown. That way, cars can easily see them.
- If you allow your older kids to explore forested areas, set limitations on how far they can go. Have them take a friend with them and encourage them to take a flashlight and whistle in case they get lost.
- Make sure your child is a confident swimmer before you let them have independence outdoors.
- Train your children to stay hydrated outdoors, especially during hot day explorations. The risk of dehydration increases with temperatures over 90 degrees.
For more on keeping your kids safe and healthy, follow Hospitality Health ER in Galveston on Facebook or visit our blog.
