Teach rules, behaviors and dangers on the road in a playful way.
Yay, back to school! This also means packing your school bag every morning, putting it on and making the long (or shorter) way to school. But the bigger the children get, the more the everyday life of us adults changes and we don’t always have the time to go to school with the kids every morning. And at the same time, the children are becoming more independent from year to year. You slowly start to think about whether the little ones are already big enough to master the way to school on foot or by bike and all by themselves. But how do we prepare our children for the dangers and behaviors of road traffic so that we can let them out of the house in the morning with a clear conscience?
It is often difficult to let go of the children slowly, but becoming independent is part of growing up. That’s why it’s also important to teach and learn new things to the little adventurers in a fun way. In order to help you prepare your children for road traffic, we have summarized our tips for safe behavior in the following lines. From choosing the route to fully concentrating on the surroundings – there is a lot to consider here!
Define a safe route
Ideally, you have taken the safest route to school together from the beginning so that your little ones do not have to get used to it. Easily manageable intersections, well-lit zebra crossings, traffic lights, underpasses, crash barriers: it’s best to think about which route is safest for the kids and also the clearest from the driver’s point of view. Once you have defined this route, you can start walking it together with your children. Mention fixed waypoints more often and connect them with mnemonics so that the children can remember them easily. Maybe you are creative and invent a short song or poem that serves as a mnemonic.
Understanding and paying attention to the environment and hazards
Why do I have to look left and right? Why am I only allowed to cross the traffic light when the light is green? Why do I have to cross the zebra crossing? Children need to understand road traffic in order to avoid dangers. Again, learning through play and a lot of patience are required. Repeated short questions such as “Why do you have to look left and right now?”, “When are you allowed to cross the street now?” or “Why do you have to walk here and not at the zebra crossing over there?” can also help to remember these reasons and dangers.
The right clothes
In the coming autumn and winter time, but also in rain or fog at any time, it is still dark or dim and confusing on the street in the morning when the kids go to school. That’s why light-colored clothing and sufficiently distributed reflectors on the school bag, jacket and shoes are the smallest, but almost most important detail for children’s safety. In this way, drivers can recognise schoolchildren much earlier and react better and, above all, in good time.
Find School Way Buddies
Another tip may be to team up with neighbors and children who live in the same area or on the way to school. In this way, the children can take care of each other and form communities. So they are never alone and have fun on the way to school! And best of all, this often leads to the most beautiful friendships for life.
You are the role models …
… and that’s why it’s also a matter of getting rid of your mobile phone and other distraction potential! Learn and, above all, show your child in an exemplary way that their full attention must be focused on the road traffic and the passing cars. Children tend to imitate, which is why being a role model is so essential. Don’t talk on the phone on the way, but show the kids negative examples that you can observe on the way.
What should I do if I need help?
A final, but very important last point: show the children who they can turn to on the way to school if something has happened or they no longer know where they are. For example, bakeries, cafes, grocers, friends who live in the area, … Ideally, you should also put a card with your contact details and home address in your child’s school bag so that you can be reached in an emergency.
We hope we were able to support you a little with our tips in learning how to behave in road traffic. If you are unsure, it can also help you if you observe the kids inconspicuously at first. This way you can teach them what they need to take care of even more and at the same time it gives you more security and you can send them home in the morning with a good feeling!
With this in mind, we wish you and your children every success in taking a further step towards independence. Take good care of yourself.
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