January means one thing for parents, preparing the children for a new school year. Buying textbooks, stationery, uniform and anything else that the school has requested. So we thought this would be a timely reminder on school and home security.
Getting to and from school
Whether your child walks, rides a bike or gets dropped off, safety and security is a must when it comes to the road. If you can't always go with your children, why not see if there are other families going the same way? Ask if you can join in. After all, there’s always safety in numbers!
Let’s look at some other safety and security tips when going to and from school.
Cycling to school
Teach your child to always wear a bicycle helmet. Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 63 per cent.
Choose the safest route between home and school
Ride where it’s the safest, such as the footpath or cycle lane
Obey all traffic rules, including crossing the road (where possible) at traffic lights. It’s never too early or late to teach road safety awareness.
Secure the bicycle during school hours with a U-Lock or chain and padlock.
Walking to school
Use the same route every day so no shortcuts or deviations. It’s straight to school or home.
Look both ways before crossing the street. Remember to always walk and never run.
Always pay attention to the road signs and to the traffic around them.
Walk on the footpath, never the road.
Never get into a vehicle with anyone, even if they know them, without your permission.
Protect your children’s school supplies
Depending on the school, your child can have a variety of options to store their school supplies. From bags, desk drawers/trays to lockers. Plus they also need somewhere to store their equipment for music, arts and sports. Oh, and what about if they have to bring their own tablet or laptop?? With such expensive belongings at school it's imperative that these items are safe, so consider:
If your child’s bag looks the same as every other school bag, consider adding a keyring or two to make it look different. This way it minimises the chances of it being wrongly picked up. Lastly, we wouldn't suggest you include your child's name in big bold letters on the school bag. Why? By adding a name, strangers are more likely to get the attention of your children, if they think the stranger knows their name. So a lesson in stranger danger is also a must.
Avoid their bag losing all its contents by adding the AirBolt Smart Lock. Use the buttons and create an unlocking code or use Bluetooth instead.
If they're provided with a locker, ask the school what they use to keep it locked. If it isn’t what you’re expecting, switch it out. Choose a combination lock such as Master Lock or ABUS, providing the code to their teacher. Or opt for a smart padlock such as Igloohome where granting access is via Bluetooth or PIN.
Access for children to the house
Children are not exactly the best when it comes to keeping small items safe. Keys are often misplaced, forgotten at home/school or lost. So what can you do? Here are a few options.
Install a smart door lock and provide users with keyless access. This can either be one with PIN access or via Bluetooth. A smart lock can then also automatically lock when the door closes. Thus one less thing to worry about.
Leave the house key inside a key safe. Have your child memorise the PIN to get the key out and let themselves in. Deadlocks don’t need a key to lock from the inside.
Teach your children to be aware of their surroundings before they enter the home. If something doesn't look right, such as a broken window or open door, tell them not to enter and instead contact you.
Inside the home
There may be days where you won’t be at home to greet them. So how can you make sure they aren’t getting into any mischief?
Tell them they can't have anyone inside without your permission. Get an outdoor camera and you'll receive notifications of who is at your door.
Install cameras inside your home too, such as the kitchen and living room. Now you can see what your children are up to. Plus, with the camera’s two-way communication, you can talk to your children via the app.
Avoid your children getting to things they shouldn’t by making certain areas off-limits. Put these items into a drawer/cupboard and attach a combination cam lock or a keyed lock.
