The following health and safety tips are from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Making the First Day Easier

·         Remind your child that there are probably a lot of students who are uneasy about the first day of school. Teachers know that students are anxious and will make an extra effort to make sure everyone feels as comfortable as possible. 

·         Point out the positive aspects of starting school: It will be fun! She'll see old friends and meet new ones. Refresh her positive memories about previous years, when she may have returned home after the first day with high spirits because she had a good time. 

·         Find another child in the neighborhood with whom your youngster can walk to school or ride with on the bus. 

·         If you feel it is appropriate, drive your child (or walk with her) to school and pick her up on the first day.

Backpack Safety 

·         Choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back. 

·         Pack light. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. The backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of your child’s body weight. 

·         Always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles. 

·         If your school allows, consider a rolling backpack. This type of backpack may be a good choice for students who must tote a heavy load. Remember that rolling backpacks still must be carried up stairs, and they may be difficult to roll in snow.

Traveling To and From School 

Review the basic rules with your youngster:

            School Bus

·         If your child’s school bus has lap/shoulder seat belts, make sure your child uses one at all times when in the bus. If your child’s school bus does not have lap/shoulder belts, encourage the school to buy or lease buses with lap/shoulder belts.

·         Wait for the bus to stop before approaching it from the curb. 

·         Do not move around on the bus. 

·         Check to see that no other traffic is coming before crossing the street. 

·         Make sure to always remain in clear view of the bus driver. 

·         Children should always board and exit the bus at locations that provide safe access to the bus or to the school building.

            Car

·         All passengers should wear a seat belt and/or an age- and size-appropriate car seat or booster seat.

·         Your child should ride in a car seat with a harness as long as possible and then ride in a belt-positioning booster seat. Your child is ready for a booster seat when she has reached the top weight or height allowed for her seat, her shoulders are above the top harness slots, or her ears have reached the top of the seat. 

·         Your child should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle's seat belt fits properly (usually when the child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 to 12 years of age). This means that the child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her legs bent at the knees and feet hanging down and the shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat; the lap belt is low and snug across the thighs, and not the stomach. 

·         All children younger than 13 years of age should ride in the rear seat of vehicles. If you must drive more children than can fit in the rear seat (when carpooling, for example), move the front-seat passenger’s seat as far back as possible and have the child ride in a booster seat if the seat belts do not fit properly without it.

·         Remember that many crashes occur while novice teen drivers are going to and from school. You should require seat belt use, limit the number of teen passengers, and do not allow eating, drinking, cell phone conversations or texting to prevent driver distraction. Limit nighttime driving and driving in inclement weather. Familiarize yourself with your state’s graduated driver’s license law and consider the use of a parent-teen driver agreement to facilitate the early driving learning process. For a sample parent-teen driver agreement, click here. 

            Bike 

·         Always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how short or long the ride. 

·         Ride on the right, in the same direction as auto traffic. 

·         Use appropriate hand signals. 

·         Respect traffic lights and stop signs. 

·         Wear bright color clothing to increase visibility. 

·         Know the "rules of the road." 

            Walking to School

·         Make sure your child's walk to a school is a safe route with well-trained adult crossing guards at every intersection. 

·         Be realistic about your child's pedestrian skills. Because small children are impulsive and less cautious around traffic, carefully consider whether or not your child is ready to walk to school without adult supervision. 

·         If your children are young or are walking to a new school, walk with them the first week or until you are sure they know the route and can do it safely.

·         Bright colored clothing will make your child more visible to drivers. 

·         In neighborhoods with higher levels of traffic, consider starting a “walking school bus,” in which an adult accompanies a group of neighborhood children walking to school.

Eating During the School Day

·         Most schools regularly send schedules of cafeteria menus home. With this advance information, you can plan on packing lunch on the days when the main course is one your child prefers not to eat. 

·         Try to get your child's school to stock healthy choices such as fresh fruit, low-fat dairy products, water and 100 percent fruit juice in the vending machines. 

·         Each 12-ounce soft drink contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories. Drinking just one can of soda a day increases a child's risk of obesity by 60%. Restrict your child's soft drink consumption.

Bullying 

Bullying is when one child picks on another child repeatedly. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or social. It can happen at school, on the playground, on the school bus, in the neighborhood, or over the Internet.

            When Your Child Is Bullied

·         Help your child learn how to respond by teaching your child how to:

• Look the bully in the eye.
• Stand tall and stay calm in a difficult situation.
• Walk away.

·         Teach your child how to say in a firm voice. 

• "I don't like what you are doing."
• "Please do NOT talk to me like that."
• "Why would you say that?" 

·         Teach your child when and how to ask for help. 

·         Encourage your child to make friends with other children. 

·         Support activities that interest your child. 

·         Alert school officials to the problems and work with them on solutions. 

·         Make sure an adult who knows about the bullying can watch out for your child's safety and well-being when you cannot be there.

            When Your Child Is the Bully 

·         Be sure your child knows that bullying is never OK.

·         Set firm and consistent limits on your child's aggressive behavior. 

·         Be a positive role mode. Show children they can get what they want without teasing, threatening or hurting someone. 

·         Use effective, non-physical discipline, such as loss of privileges. 

·         Develop practical solutions with the school principal, teachers, counselors, and parents of the children your child has bullied.

            When Your Child Is a Bystander

·         Tell your child not to cheer on or even quietly watch bullying. 

·         Encourage your child to tell a trusted adult about the bullying. 

·         Help your child support other children who may be bullied. Encourage your child to include these children in activities. 

·         Encourage your child to join with others in telling bullies to stop.

Before and After School Child Care 

·         During early and middle childhood, youngsters need supervision. A responsible adult should be available to get them ready and off to school in the morning and watch over them after school until you return home from work. 

·         Children approaching adolescence (11- and 12-year-olds) should not come home to an empty house in the afternoon unless they show unusual maturity for their age. 

·         If alternate adult supervision is not available, parents should make special efforts to supervise their children from a distance. Children should have a set time when they are expected to arrive at home and should check in with a neighbor or with a parent by telephone.

·         If you choose a commercial after-school program, inquire about the training of the staff. There should be a high staff-to-child ratio, and the rooms and the playground should be safe.

Developing Good Homework and Study Habits 

·         Create an environment that is conducive to doing homework. Youngsters need a permanent work space in their bedroom or another part of the home that is quiet, without distractions, and promotes study.

·         Schedule ample time for homework. 

·         Establish a household rule that the TV set stays off during homework time. 

·         Supervise computer and Internet use.

·         Be available to answer questions and offer assistance, but never do a child's homework for her. 

·         Take steps to help alleviate eye fatigue, neck fatigue and brain fatigue while studying. It may be helpful to close the books for a few minutes, stretch, and take a break periodically when it will not be too disruptive. 

·         If your child is struggling with a particular subject, and you aren't able to help her yourself, a tutor can be a good solution. Talk it over with your child's teacher first.

©www.HealthyChildren.org

 As your child is making new friends and spending more time with them, you can:

• Get to know these friends and their parents.
• Communicate expectations about friendships in a clear and open way. 
• Help your child connect to school and the larger community.

Friendships are important, but your guidance and monitoring of activities are needed for your child to be safe and successful.

Friendships take on new meaning and importance as your child grows. Young people make and break friendships, explore the world around them, and begin to figure out who they want to be.

Friends will become more important to your child during this time. Friends help teach:

• Communication skills
• Self-confidence
• A sense of self

Friends are Special
Friendships are some of your child’s most important relationships. Close friendships involve intense feelings, learning how to trust, learning to criticize with honesty, and feeling secure outside of the family.

Friends help define personality and independence. Friendships teach young people how to deal with their own complex feelings and those of others.

With more friends and a wider range of interests and activities, your child may begin to spend less time at home.

By knowing your child’s close friends, you will learn a lot about your child.

Get to Know Your Child's Friends

• Talk with them on the phone.
• Meet them at neighborhood or school events.
• Find out what they and your child do together.

Let your child know that friends are welcome in your home.

• Review “house rules” with your child prior to the visit.
• Let your child, the friend, and the friend’s family know that an adult will be there.
• Know what’s going on by seeing, hearing, and talking with them about what they are doing. Be informed, but keep a low profile.

Follow guidelines for when your child is invited to a friend’s home.

• Find out about the friend’s “house rules” and who else will be at home, like parents, another adult, brothers, or sisters.
• Ask about what they plan to do during the visit.
• Talk with your child about things that are important to you: no guns, violent TV and video games, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

Take this time to review behaviors that are healthy and those that are dangerous. 

• Be sure to have the telephone number of where your child can be reached. If you want to call, go ahead and pick up the phone. 
• If there is a change of plans, you need to be told.

Get to Know Other Parents

• Talk with them on the phone.
• Meet them at neighborhood or school events.
• Greet them when dropping your child off at their home.

Communication is Key
School-aged children need and want more independence. Good communication, with clear expectations, helps parents and children trust that what is going on is safe.

To communicate clearly and openly with your child,

• Make clear and consistent rules.
• Speak in a firm and loving voice.
• Agree on rules, like curfew time, and enforce the agreed-upon consequences when a rule is broken.
• Know where and with whom your child is spending time.

When plans change—and they will— let your child know that you need to be contacted for approval of any changes.

Promote a Sense of Belonging
Young people often do best when they belong to a group.

• Help your child use afternoons, weekends, and summers to find activities that will help develop this sense of belonging. 
• Many young people are involved with a sports team, after-school music or arts programs, or Boys & Girls Clubs. Others join the youth group of a religious association.
• Support your child during this time of pursuing personal interests and exploring new opportunities. Know that your child’s interests are likely to change frequently!

Sports--Besides playing, your child might help coach, be a student manager, become an official, or be a timekeeper. Talk about good sportsmanship. 

• Being a good winner and a good loser.
• Keeping a positive attitude.
• Showing respect for players, coaches, officials, and the crowd. Discuss how important it is to set a good example while watching a game or event.

Clubs--Check with the school and local community groups to find out what is offered. You may be surprised to find out how many different programs are available.

• Get involved as a chaperone or adult member.
• Help your child think about the different activities that are available and to make good choices. But allow space for independent exploration. There is a fine balance here. If you become too pushy, your child may pull back and not want to talk with you.

As your child explores different options, safety is always a concern. Find out:

• Where will the activity be? Indoors or outdoors? Far from or close to your home? 
• How will the activity be supervised? By parents, an older brother or sister, or another adult?
• Is this a structured program or school-sponsored activity?

Community Service Volunteering is a good way for your child to make friends. In turn, the whole community benefits from their talent and energy.

Help your child find ways to give back. By helping others in the community, young people build self-confidence and learn how to work with others. They can:

• Help younger children learn to read.
• Assist their peers as tutors.
• Help paint a mural or build a playground.

One of the most powerful ways to have an effect on who your child is friends with is when you become involved. Find community projects that you and your child can work on together. Volunteering may even lead to a paying job!

Staying in Touch

• If your child has a cell phone or pager, talk about its proper use. 
• For emergencies, your child needs to know, and have written down, your home, work, and cell phone numbers. 
• Have a back up plan. If you cannot be reached, your child also needs the contact information for an adult relative, neighbor, or family friend who can be called.

Last Updated 7/30/2012 Source Connected Kids: Safe, Strong, Secure (Copyright © 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics) The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.