Bryan child advocacy center shares tips for back-to-school safety, emergency preparedness
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – The back-to-school season is inching closer, and while you’re preparing your student for class, it’s important to prepare and educate them on school safety.
Alison Prince, director of development at Scotty’s House, a Bryan child advocacy center, joined First News at Four on Tuesday to outline how the kinds of basic safety needs depends on your child’s age.
“I have a child who’s starting kindergarten this year, so something that we’re practicing is, ‘do you know your mom and dad’s name? What street do you live on?’ And knowing who to share that information with and who not to share that information. It’s about conversation and opening those lines of dialogue with them to help them stay safe,” Prince advised.
School safety also begins online, Prince said, even on a parent’s account.
While those back-to-school chalkboard pictures with your student’s grade and favorite subject are cute for your family, Prince told KBTX that picture can easily end up in the wrong person’s hands.
“All you’re doing, if you’re putting that out on the internet for other people to see, is you’re giving people information to have access to your children. Now they can walk up to your child if they recognize them and begin having conversations with them that you may not want them to have. So, I’m not saying don’t take those pictures, maybe just keep those for your family,” shared Prince.
Scotty’s House also advised the most important thing you can do is practice safety tips with your child.
“My older son got lost on the first day of school walking home from his first day of kindergarten. Amazingly, we had practiced and I have no idea how my amazing 5-year-old figured it out, but he did it. We found him and he was safe. It happens, you know, and this is in the best of situations. It happens. So, practice and have those conversations,” Prince added.
