Back-to-school safety guidelines

With the school year approaching, it’s a good idea to review key health and safety information with your children. Here’s a brief guideline.

Walking to school
Children should be careful to follow these rules when walking to and from school:

• Remain on the sidewalk or shoulder of the road
• Opt to cross at intersections with a crossing guard
• Use crosswalks
• Look both ways before crossing the street
• Respect traffic lights
• Don’t take detours or shortcuts

Taking the bus to school
Talk to your children about these safety rules for using the school bus:

• Don’t cross the street in front of or behind the bus while it’s moving
• Hold the railing when getting on and off the bus
• Sit down right away
• Wait for the bus to stop before getting up
• Don’t stand or roughhouse on the bus

Health considerations
Here are some health topics and associated advice that families with school-age children should keep in mind:

• Lice. To reduce the risk of getting head lice, children should avoid sharing hats, scarves, hair accessories, brushes, and combs. Kids with long hair should keep it tied in a ponytail or braid.

• Colds and flu. If your child has a fever, cold, or any other contagious illness, keep them home.

• Food safety. Avoid sending your kids to school with food that contains common allergens such as peanuts. In fact, many schools ban these sorts of products, so make sure to find out what the rules are.

• Allergies. If your children have food allergies, make sure they know how to avoid the specific allergens. If necessary, they should carry an epinephrine injector and be familiar with how to use it. Also, be sure to inform the school if your kids have allergies.

Have a safe and healthy school year.