From the moment our children are born we are trying to keep them safe. We build a safe nursery, baby proof the entire home, background check the babysitters and more. Parents do the best they can, but eventually the time will come when they are out of our hands. They eventually have to go to school, spend time with friends, and then get a job. One thing you can continue to do as a parent however is helping to ensure that they come back home safely. Here are just a few ways you can do this.
Confirm Pickup Times
As your kids get older, they will start to have more activities outside the house – after school clubs, sports teams, music lessons, etc. Each one of these will likely require both a ride there and a ride back. However, we parents also have busy schedules, and sometimes the times can get a little mixed up.
That’s why it’s important to make sure you’ve confirmed what time your child needs to be picked up and at what location. You don’t want your kid waiting around in an empty parking lot because you thought you had another thirty minutes before you needed to go get them. In most of these situations there will be other adults around who won’t leave your kid there alone, but it’s still good practice to confirm pickup times when you drop them off.
Have Them Check in With You
Eventually your child will get to the age where you can leave them home by themselves. They no longer need to go to a babysitter after school, but can instead head straight home. If both parents are working, this means you won’t be there to see that your kid arrived home safely.
To fix this, make sure your child always checks in with you. They should give you a call as soon as they get home to let you know they arrived safely. Let them know that if they are unable to do this, their home alone privileges will have to be revoked. Here are some additional tips for letting your kid stay home alone.
Keep in Touch with Other Parents
For many activities your child will be with other kids their age. This means that their parents will also be picking up and dropping off their kids as well. It’s a good idea to become friendly with these parents and to keep in touch with them. If you do so, you can then set up a carpool, so that each parent doesn’t have to worry about driving their kid.
When you set up a carpool however, it’s a good idea to double check with the other parents so that everyone knows who is responsible for pickup that day. Make sure you are forming the carpool with parents that you trust, so that you can rest easy knowing they will get your child home safely.
Teach Your Kids Good Driving Habits
Once your kids get to a certain age they will start driving themselves around. You won’t have to worry about picking up them up at a certain time any more, but instead will have some new worries. Are they driving safe? Is their car reliable? Are they following the rules of the road?
While you can’t police every action your kids take while driving, you can at least instill some good habits. Talk to them about the importance of following the speed limit, buckling up, and keeping their phone away. If you catch them doing anything dangerous while they drive, don’t be afraid to take their keys away for a week. Instilling good driving habits will help to keep your kids safe while on the road and that they get home in one piece.
Tell Them When Not to Drive
Finally, sometimes the most important thing you can do is make sure your kids don’t get home. There are cases where it’s best that your kids just stay where they are and come home another time. For example, maybe the weather turned bad while they were out, and the roads are no longer safe to drive. Or maybe they had a few drinks at a party. While you may not be happy about this behavior, you would still rather them be safe then lie to you about it.
Encourage them to stay where they are or find another way home if necessary. Offer to come pick them up, or have them get a ride from a sober friend. You could even have them sign up for a rideshare app like Uber, if this is their only option. While there are some problems with apps like Uber (which you can read about from this Uber accident lawyer), it’s likely a better alternative than driving home under the influence.
Getting Your Kids Home Safe
There’s a lot that you can do to protect your kids at home, but not as much when they are out in the world. The best thing you can do is make sure they get back safe, and that they are practicing safe habits. Hopefully this article was able to give you some ideas and your kids will always find their way back home safe and sound.
