NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SAFTEY TIPS Sept09
The school holidays are almost here and our children will be out and about having fun, in parks. shopping centres and their friends’ houses.
We have to make our children aware of personal safety issues. Everybody has the right to feel safe no matter where they are.
We have to make our children aware of personal safety issues. Everybody has the right to feel safe no matter where they are.
Encourage you children to tell you who they are going to the park, shops etc with. Give your child a time to be home. If they have a mobile phone encourage them to message you when they arrive at their destination or request to use the phone to ring you if at a mate’s place. Make sure you know who they are meeting and, if they are going bike riding, that you know where.
Holidays are a good time to ask how school is. Are they happy, do they play with friends at lunch, do they sit by themselves?
If they feel unsafe or have a problem it is a good idea to talk with someone they trust. A fun activity is to encourage them to design a safety network. A good way is to make a drawing of their hand and each finger represents a network member. Network members are people they trust, for example a teacher, grandparent, aunt, uncle, police officer (adopt-a-cop). It is good to have one person they live with on their network. The reason for having a number of members is that sometimes one member can be busy so the children go to the next member.
We, as parents, can do a lot for child safety while they are out and about. For example at the skateboard park in town, stay and watch your children, don’t leave them for others to watch (no-one watches your children better than yourself)
If you think a car is parked there too long and the driver has no children there, please phone the police. Any suspicious behaviour should be reported. The police would rather have you phone earlier than later.
If your children should happen to be separated from you at shops encourage them to go to a sales person not another shopper. Tell them to wait at a certain location you have worked out earlier and wait.
Strathpine has a Police Beat near the cinema. Make sure they know never to leave the shops with a stranger to look for you.
Holidays are a good time to ask how school is. Are they happy, do they play with friends at lunch, do they sit by themselves?
If they feel unsafe or have a problem it is a good idea to talk with someone they trust. A fun activity is to encourage them to design a safety network. A good way is to make a drawing of their hand and each finger represents a network member. Network members are people they trust, for example a teacher, grandparent, aunt, uncle, police officer (adopt-a-cop). It is good to have one person they live with on their network. The reason for having a number of members is that sometimes one member can be busy so the children go to the next member.
We, as parents, can do a lot for child safety while they are out and about. For example at the skateboard park in town, stay and watch your children, don’t leave them for others to watch (no-one watches your children better than yourself)
If you think a car is parked there too long and the driver has no children there, please phone the police. Any suspicious behaviour should be reported. The police would rather have you phone earlier than later.
If your children should happen to be separated from you at shops encourage them to go to a sales person not another shopper. Tell them to wait at a certain location you have worked out earlier and wait.
Strathpine has a Police Beat near the cinema. Make sure they know never to leave the shops with a stranger to look for you.
Make sure your children know their road safety. Dayboro is getting quite busy and crossing the roads can be dangerous.
One final message for your children is that “Nothing is so awful that they can’t talk about it with someone”
One final message for your children is that “Nothing is so awful that they can’t talk about it with someone”
Enjoy the holidays and be safe.
Jackie Wallace
