Tips for Parents

Use these simple suggestions to help keep your child or children safe. 

10 Ways to Say I Love You to Help Keep Your Child Safe

1. Enforce a no playing in the street rule. 
   The number one action we can each take so that any child of ours will not become a traffic incident victim on neighborhood streets is to simply say, and enforce, no playing in the street. Set limits for your child. Make sure they have safe places to play. Do not let them play in the street.
    
2. Know where your child is, but allow opportunities for "free play".
   Have kids let you know where they are going and who they will be with. At the same time, encourage children to have time for free-play with other neighborhood children. This is important time to be creative/imaginative, and to develop social skills that can only be learned when parents or other adults are not constantly coaching kids every moment of the day. That said, be outside watching younger children. 
    
3. Always make sure kids are buckled up.
   Show your care for others by wearing your seat belt and expecting others to do the same. Do the right thing. SEAT BELTS – FASTENATING!® Make sure your young child is in an approved safety seat or booster seat. Be sure the seat is properly installed and that your child is safely buckled in. For more information visit www.homesafetycouncil.org/
    
4. Hang up and drive! Help keep everyone alive! 
   Talking on a cell phone is like driving at .09 under the influence – texting even worse.
    
5. Teach your child to cross the street correctly. Always use the nearest crosswalk when available. STOP! TAKE 3 TO SEE®. This means stop completely at curbside or stop sign; look left, look right, look left again (and listen, too); and make sure the road is clear before crossing. This is also the way for motorists to obey stop signs. In addition, teach children to follow these same steps when approaching a driveway or intersection. Teach them to be aware that a car may be backing out or may be approaching an intersection from any direction. STOP! TAKE 3 TO SEE® 
6. Expect your child to wear the proper helmet and pads when riding a bike, scooter, skateboard, or skating.
   Helmets should exceed safety standards. Look for an ASTM, Snell, ANSI or CPSC certification sticker. A simple rule for parenting – NO HELMET (or elbow, wrist, and kneepads for skateboards, skates, and scooters) NO WHEELS! Enforce this rule at all times to help your child learn positive safety habits.
    
7. Make sure your child checks in with you on a regular basis (every hour or so) when at a friend’s house.
   This is important for children of all ages (teenagers, too!).
    
8. Know the parents of all children in your neighborhood.
   Support each other in helping to keep all kids safe – in yards, homes, cars, and on bikes, scooters, and skates. 
    
9. Be Aware! Drive With Care®. 
   Follow all rules of the road. Buckle up! Drive no faster than the speed limit–slower when others present. Allow 3-4 seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you.
    
10. Never leave a child unattended in a motor vehicle—whether the engine is running or not! 
     

Did You Know?

A pedestrian hit by a vehicle in a 30 mph zone is 3 times more likely to die than one hit by a vehicle traveling in a 25 mph zone. (General Estimates - Police Reported Accidents)

The street in front of your home is over twice as dangerous as highways when it comes to number of deaths per miles driven. (Federal Highway Administration)

Schedule a Presentation

To schedule a community presentation on PARENTING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE, please contact Tom Everson at (402) 334-1391 or at kkad25@kkad25.org.