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How to help your children be prepared at school
Trade in your swimsuit and sunscreen for a backpack and school books. For many across the nation, school is starting this month!
Since your children spend so much time at school, it’s important for them to know what to do in an emergency if they are in class when it occurs. For example, would they know where to meet you? How to contact you? How to avoid danger?
All of these items are important aspects of emergency preparedness and as a parent, you can help your children be prepared for any situation that might come their way. Here are a few tips that can help you prepare your kids for the coming school year:
1. Meeting Place
Does your family have a meeting location? Choose a location that is well known to your family that they could meet in after an emergency. Choose a place that they could walk to. If there were a natural disaster, the school would most likely keep track of your children until they could guarantee that you were picking them up.
You might also consider placing an emergency two-way radio in a pocket of your child’s backpack that they would use only for emergencies. That way they would be able to get in contact with you directly.
2. Communication
Many times a disaster will knock out parts of the communication network. Even if the network hasn’t been knocked out, it’s often bogged down with the majority of people checking in on their loved ones. A text message is an easy way to let others know that you are OK. A text message will send easier during an emergency than a phone call.
3. Stranger Danger
Not all emergencies are natural disasters. Be sure to review with your children rules about talking to strangers. They should know the 1-2 designated people that you trust. They should also know how to say no to a stranger.
Often, malicious strangers will pose as authoritative figures to persuade children. Be sure that your child understands that they can trust their teacher and school officials. Make sure you trust them too.
4. Illness
If hand sanitizer commercials have taught us anything, it’s that germs spread at school. Consider purchasing a travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer that your child can attach to their backpack. Also consider sending them with a water bottle so they don’t have to use the school drinking fountains.
5. Emergency Pack
Prepare an emergency bag of contents for your child. Encourage their teacher to organize the students to all do the same. Included in the bag would be some light emergency items like a pouch of water, some freeze-dried food, extra medication they might need and some identification and contact information.
6. Identification Pack
Work with the school staff to keep some identification at the school. For example, include a family photo in your child’s file so that if a stranger tries to pose as a parent and take your child out of school for the day, the staff will easily be able to notice. Make sure that your contact information is up to date so that if the school needs to contact you, they can.
7. Make It Fun
There are many online resources that you can use to teach your children about emergency preparedness. FEMA has a webpage with comics, crosswords, wordsearches and more that each teach children about emergency preparedness.
What have you used?
How have you taught your children about emergency preparedness? Comment below and share your insights and how to teach children!
When I made their small sized B.O.B’s I explained what we were putting in them and why. The contents went in, the bag went on the shoulders, and it was an adventure pack to them , a cool thing “just in case something like the hurricane happens and we need to leave”. They picked the bag and I picked the items. They picked the color of water carrier too.
August 16th, 2012 at 4:10 amBefore putting extra medication into an emergency bag that your child takes to school you need to talk with school officials and/or the school nurse. Some schools are very strict about children and drugs, even things as simple as Advil can be a problem.
August 16th, 2012 at 5:32 amOur high school doesn’t allow water bottles. Not even in lockers.
August 16th, 2012 at 7:15 amRemember that most schools prohibit bags, electronics, etc. in the classroom – and in an emergency they probably will not be able to get to their bag. What they have on their person is what they’ll have to work with. Most important is mind set; what to do/not to do in a situation, not to rely on gadgets and gear, and not to panic. Schools are loaded with food and water – that shouldn’t be an issue *inside* if they are kept there in a disaster. Weapons of course are prohibited. Nurses office are (presumably) staffed with competent medical personnel and basic supplies. Even if they are forced to evacuate, they won’t be able to retrieve bags first.
August 16th, 2012 at 8:30 amWhen it comes to schools, consider active threat situations as the most serious and make sure your children know how to react – even if teachers or other students freeze or panic. Even kids should be able to identify what a gunshot sounds like, and know how to immediately react. A bag with some of this gear IS great – for travel to/from on the bus, going to friends houses, etc. The idea of a FMRS style radio is great – just make sure they have duplicate ones at home to play with. Codenames and radio games (hot/cold, hide & seek, sardines, etc) are great fun for everyone in the family to get used to using radios. They are much more reliable than cell phones in a disaster, though very limited on range.
Make your children think, not be paranoid. Adapt the gear, skills & expectations as they get older and more independent. Don’t scare them – make it fun to be self-reliant.
It’s important for the parents to also ask the school what their Emergency Plans are and what actions need to be taken, by the students and the parents. Discuss this information with your child then make your Family plan. If your school cannot provide this information, maybe it’s time to become an advocate for the safety of all children in the school system.
August 16th, 2012 at 8:38 amI like the idea of a photo in the child file of who may pick them up.Teach them simple first aid and a meeting place if something happens on the way home.
August 16th, 2012 at 11:30 amgetting the balance right between preparedness and fear that features in a disaster is sometimes a problem
it is sometimes easier to let school decide what should be in a pack but benefit familys are aware of the costs not in a benefit
and some feel left out rather than do without items
school do sometimes have group or teacher packed items for a bus out
and letting you know might come later
numbers that cant be got thru to are often a problem for the humble school secretary…who cannot trace a parent and follow up procedures occurr even sometimes in the uk
find out what they are…as a parent
but most kids will follow a teachers guidelines unless its a disagreement with a parent
August 17th, 2012 at 5:34 pmI think you need to teach them how and when to escape and evade school authorities when it is in their best interests to do so and find their way back to their family.
August 18th, 2012 at 8:08 pm