This is a collaborative post.
Keeping your children safe is a big responsibility. Understandably, it is something that most parents worry about, on an almost constant basis.
When they are little, you can be with them virtually all of the time, which means that you can be their eyes and ears. You can spot danger, and make sure that they avoid the situation, or react in a way that keeps them safe.
However, as they get older you can no longer be with them as much. They have to go to school, stay with relatives, and start to experience life without you literally holding their hands.
In time, they will start to do things without direct adult supervision. At which point they are going to rely 100% on what you have taught them. Most parents realize this.
As a result, they start to teach children about safety from an early age. Today, we are looking at how to make sure that your kids stay safe when crossing the road, riding a bike, and, in time, while learning to drive.
Lead by example
The first tip is to start to teach your children about road safety from an early age. Even if they are still in the pram, you can tell them what you are doing to make sure that you can get across the road safely.
Some parents sing a little song that tells their little ones they are finding a safe place to cross, stopping and looking both ways before crossing. Little kids love songs and ditties, and will remember them, as they get older. When they can walk always cross the road properly while holding their hand.
Every now and again, ask them to find a safe place to cross, and work out when it is safe to cross. Ultimately, each time, you choose whether you actually cross or not. If they make mistakes, you can work out why and help them to correct the error and learn how to cross the road properly.
The more fun your kids have while learning about something the easier it is for them to remember what you are trying to teach them. Fortunately, there are many enjoyable ways to help them to learn.
For example, the videos on this site are ideal for kids. They are not too long, yet still get the message across. There are three videos available, each of which is targeted at a different age group.
Help them to learn on car journeys
It is important to remember that road safety is not all about staying safe while walking. In time, your kids are going to want to ride bikes and, eventually, learn to drive.
The more familiar they are with how road users behave the easier it is going to be for them to learn to ride, and drive. You can start simply, by teaching them what the different road signs mean. Getting them to look out for stop signs, and tell you how vehicles should respond to them is a great way of familiarizing them with the rules of the road.
Taking a gradual approach to teaching them about road safety is by far the best way to make sure they have all of the information to stay safe, as they get older, and do more without you being there.
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