Teen Sex: Encouraging Your Teens To Wait to Have Sex

Raising teens in today's world is not easy.

Whether your teenager’s health classes at school take an abstinence-only approach to sexual education or not, the responsibility of encouraging abstinence still falls largely upon your shoulders as a parent. Sexual activity at an early age could potentially lead to an unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases or both. Teenagers are beginning to experience adult urges, but still have an underdeveloped sense of the impulse control that governs most adult social interaction.

Approaching your teen about sexuality and abstinence doesn’t have to be awkward and uncomfortable, though, especially if you’ve established a foundation of open, honest communication.

Get to Know Your Teen
It’s not easy to talk to someone that you don’t really know, especially if your lack of mutual familiarity makes a frank conversation about sex painfully awkward. In order to effectively teach your teenager why he should avoid sexual activity until he’s older and more mature, you’ll have to be able to speak comfortably about other things, too. It’s also important that you know who his friends are, what he’s interested in and who he’s dating. The peer group around your teenager will have a certain amount of influence over his decisions, especially if he’s involved in a romantic relationship. You’ll need to tailor your conversations regarding sexuality to meet his individual situation, something you simply can’t do if you don’t know these basic bits of information.

Avoid Moral Ambiguity
If abstinence from premarital sex is important to your family because of your religious beliefs, you have concrete reasons aside from teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases for encouraging such behavior. Teenagers tend to think that the worst-case scenario doesn’t apply to them, and while these situations happen to other people, they’ll never happen to them. Heads of secular households will need to avoid attaching an ambiguous moral stigma to the idea of teen sex, especially if it’s not something you actually believe. If religion isn’t a driving force behind your hopes for abstinence, it’s best to stick to the facts.

Encourage Him to Pursue Long-Term Goals
A teenager that’s focused on a long-term goal, like finishing college or excelling in an area in which he’s particularly talented, may be more determined to avoid potential stumbling blocks along the road to the success he dreams of. Making sure that you encourage your teenager’s ambitions and that you explain how easily they could be derailed by an unplanned pregnancy or an incurable sexually transmitted disease can put a spin on abstinence that he understands.

Limit Screen Time, But Don’t Be Afraid to Use Entertainment as a Talking Point
Sex sells, a fact that’s readily apparent any time you switch on the television. While limiting screen time is a wise choice for a variety of reasons, you should realize that you simply can’t shield your teenager from allusions to sexual activity on television, in music or on the Internet. Rather than trying to block all references to sexuality, you should use them as talking points. Remember that talking about abstinence is an ongoing dialogue, not a one-time discussion. Topical conversations about the things that your teen sees on television are another effective way of applying these important principals to his real life in a way that makes sense to him.

Consider the Effects of Substance Use
Teenagers aren’t renowned for their impulse control and drinking or drug use can cause their inhibitions to drop even further. Understanding the causal link between substance use and sexual activity is essential for parents because your teenager will almost certainly find himself in the position of being offered drugs or alcohol at some point in his high school career. Making sure that your stance on experimentation with controlled substances is clear and that your teenager understands just how quickly a single mistake can ruin a promising life is important.

Have Frank Discussions About the Ramifications of Teen Pregnancy
The abstract notion of being saddled with an infant before graduation is a scary one to teenagers, but it’s still not a concept that fully sinks in most of the time. Teenagers may understand that sex can lead to pregnancy, but they still tend to believe that it will never happen to them. Girls may even believe that teen pregnancy isn’t so devastating, and they may believe that they have the necessary tools to parent. Making sure that your children absolutely understand how devastating an unexpected pregnancy would be is essential, as it may be the one lesson they hold on to when they’re confronted with temptation.

While it’s important to talk to your teens about abstinence and maintaining sexual purity, it’s also important that you foster a sense of openness and trust in your relationship with them.

A teen that’s terrified of your reaction to an impulsive mistake or even an informed decision regarding his sexual activity isn’t likely to discuss the matter with you at all, leaving you firmly in the dark. Make sure that your child knows that you strongly encourage abstinence, but that you’re there to listen to him and to help him through difficult situations even if he doesn’t live up to those expectations.

Source: Babysitting Jobs

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Spring Break: Encourage Your Teen to Take a Break From Social Media Too

Spring break is here and many teens love to boast about their fun online.  However parents need to step up to the plate and talk to their kids about what they post today can literally harm their future and affect their college of choice or a potential employment.

Let’s make spring break a time for a digital break too.  Do those questionable photos and comments really need to be posted?

Many kids and teens continue to believe that they are invincible – not only off online, but online too.
We are becoming a broken record as we try to explain to our kids what they post online can potentially affect their future.

For teens looking forward to a higher education and especially those in need of scholarships to help them finance college, they need to think before they post on their social networking sites such as Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram.

According to a PEW Study (November 2012) 69% of parents of online teens are concerned about how their child’s online activity might affect their future academic or employment opportunities, with some 44% being “very” concerned about that.

Should these numbers be higher?  I think, we are getting better since years ago many parents weren’t concerned at all and were not convinced that social media was even an issue.

According to a 2011 Kaplan study, 80% of college admissions are using search engines and a students’ social media presence to screen their applicants which can mean their college application has now extended into their online presence.  This is where the parent concern comes in – what has your teen been doing online that you don’t know about?

Facebook is obviously the largest social networking site that many use.  Isn’t it time to encourage your teen to sit down and clean it up?  Especially with the latest Facebook Timeline, it is simply a click away to see pictures or comments that simply just don’t need to be there.  Remember, unfortunately all your posts and comments on your friends pages are still lingering in cyberspace too. 

So now is the time to seriously stop and think before you post that silly comment.  Is it really worth a scholarship?

You may think because your child’s Facebook is set on private you are safe.  Don’t be fooled.  If it’s online, it’s usually public information – remember your child is friends with friends that may not have their privacy settings set as high.

Don’t risk losing a scholarship or a college of your choice for a dumb remark online or a compromising photo!

3 Tips to maintain your teen’s digital resume:

• Google your teen’s name regularly and set up your Google, MSN, Bing, Yahoo, Twilert alerts (always know when there is something online about you so you can address it immediately). It only takes a few minutes, it is free and can save you a lot of reputation repair later on.
• Buy your own URL in your teen’s name.  This can be less than $10.00 through GoDaddy and you can own your own online real estate.  Building a site can be easy and if you can do it with your personal interests, it sets the tone  for your future.  Weebly.com is a free service to build your website.
• Create a Blog about you and your interests.  This is free.  Use your name as the URL.  WordPress is free and easy to use.

If you need to know what happens when you don’t maintain and take pre-cautions with our online profile, read Google Bomb!  This is a cautionary tale of how a flourishing and successful career of over a decade can literally be brought to its’ knees due to a few keystrokes and a click of a mouse.
Watch a quick video of what can happened to teens that lost their scholarships due to plain stupid posts. Click here.

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10 Risky Behaviors Teens Do: Parents Need to Know

Many teenagers think they are invincible, and are always looking for the next thrill.

While the stunts that were tried 10 to 20 years ago may have seemed daring and dangerous at the time, teens today are pushing the envelope in even more dangerous new ways. Parents truly need to be aware of the risky things that some teens are doing.

Planking: Dangerous & deadly

1. Planking- Kids have taken what started out being a move done for strengthening the core to a trend that was kind of cute to something downright dangerous. Planking is where you lay face down on any surface and have your picture taken. The picture is then uploaded to Facebook or some other social media site. Teens turned this fun trend into a dangerous stunt when they started planking on things like escalators, moving cars, trains and rooftops.
2. Car surfing- Instead of surfing in the water standing on a surfboard, teens are standing on moving cars. Some start by standing on the trunk with the car moving very slowly, and in an effort to continually raise the stakes they have moved to more even more dangerous locations on the car, and now teens have been killed doing this.
3. Smoking Smarties- According to tutorials online, the candy is crushed to a fine powder and the end of the tube is opened and the powder is puffed and inhaled like smoke. On the surface the activity is not illegal or all that harmful, but it could lead to infections and chronic coughing. The bigger concern is that this behavior could lead to more dangerous experimentation with drugs in the future.
4. Vodka eyeballing- To avoid getting caught with alcohol on their breath, teens have started pouring vodka directly in their eyes. The alcohol is absorbed through the mucus membrane and goes directly into the blood stream. This trend has been shown to cause blindness in a worst case scenario, but at a minimum it can burn the cornea and cause scarring.
5. Chatroulette- Chatroulette.com is a site that connects users through their web cams with people from all over the world for live chat sessions. They do have filters which allow the user to speak to only English speakers or only females. While the policy on chatroulette is against nudity and other inappropriate activities, risky behavior still happens. Sexual predators could use this medium as a way to interact and ultimately harm kids.
6. Purple drank- Drinking this mix of jolly ranchers, cough syrup with codeine and Sprite can lead to hallucinations and is extremely toxic. Kids love to copy the next celebrity trend, and for some celebrities, this purple drink it is.
7. Rainbow parties- A group of girls at a party will wear various shades of lipstick and perform oral sex on the same guys. At the end of the evening the genitals of the guys have many colors of lipstick, thus mimicking a rainbow.
8. Choking game- The choking game is where kids choke each other or themselves with various things like belts or scarves, to cut off the flow of blood to their brain in order to get a high. When the choking stops the blood goes back to the brain quickly and they get a natural high. Many teens who have tried this have passed out doing it and could, and have, died of asphyxiation.
9. Distilling hand sanitizer- By combining salt with liquid hand sanitizer the alcohol can be distilled out of it. The alcohol is very strong and some teens who have drank it have ended up in the ER with alcohol poisoning.
10. Rummy bears- Kids and adults alike are soaking gummy bears in various alcohols, like rum or vodka. The gummy soaks up the alcohol and kids are said to be eating them at school and getting buzzed.

Knowledge is power. If adults are aware that these trends are going on in other areas of the country they will be better able to spot them in their own kids or their friends.

Source: Babysitters.net

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Obesity and Kids: What Parents Can Do To Encourage Healthy Habits

It’s no secret that America has a childhood obesity epidemic. 

The health risks that can accompany childhood obesity are so regularly featured on news reports that it’s amazing the problem is still so prevalent. And although many parents can identify a weight problem in their child, they might not know what to do about it, especially when it comes to handling the situation without damaging her self-esteem.

Here is some food for thought for parents of overweight children, along with some practical, real-life advice for handling the situation.

Your Doctor Might Not Tell You
Your doctor might not let you know that your child is overweight or obese. This may be because he assumes you do not want to know. As a parent, it is easy to turn a blind eye to things like your kids being overweight or even when your kids develop a bad habit. If you have a suspicion that your child is overweight, you should approach your doctor about it. This will show him that you are interested in learning more about the issue and are willing to work with his suggestions on what to change or tweak in your child’s life.
You Are Not Alone
Sometimes it’s difficult to realize that you are not the only one with overweight kids. There are others out there who are just as concerned as you are and who are willing to share their wisdom. Search out those other parents and work together to achieve a common goal. That extra support is just the thing you need to keep on track, and having another overweight child working toward becoming a healthier size will help put your child at ease and encourage her to work hard at losing that extra weight.
Exercise Is Always a Good Thing
Not everyone enjoys exercise, but it’s essential for kids’ health and physical development. Come up with an exercise schedule that everyone in the household sticks to. There’s no reason to send your kid off to the gym for an aerobics class while you sit at home. Make it a family event that everyone looks forward to. If everyone likes to do something different, then create a schedule that includes all of the activities throughout the week. Working together as a family not only creates a built-in support system, it can also boost the health of everyone in the family and gives you an opportunity to model the habits you want your child to adopt.
She Shouldn’t Have to Make Changes Alone
Along the same lines as exercising with your child, don’t make them go through any aspect of this experience alone. Singling him out will just create tension and remorse that doesn’t need to be there at all. If the doctor says he needs to change his diet, change the diet of your entire family. Clean out that pantry of the junk food and fill it with healthier alternatives, encouraging everyone to eat better. Even members of your family at an average weight can benefit from cutting out the empty calories.
Some Foods Should Be Avoided
Going out for fast food three times a week is a bad habit to get into, regardless of how convenient it might be for time-strapped parents. All of the grease that is typical of fast food has no place in a child’s diet. And, keep in mind the word “diet” does not mean counting calories and starving your child. She still needs a decent amount of food. After all, she is growing and changing. With how much energy children burn throughout each day, chances are they need to eat more food than you would expect. They just need healthier fare than deep-fried potatoes and genetically modified meat.
Counting Calories Isn’t Always Right for Kids
The strict course of counting calories is a lot of pressure to put on a child and will single them out more than their weight already does. Stress can even be a trigger for kids and adults who are prone to emotional eating. So skip the added stress of counting calories and think about ways to instill healthier habits as a whole.
Your Child May Have Low Self-Esteem
It is possible that your child is being picked on at school or being made fun of by his peers because he is overweight, and he may very well be too embarrassed about the bullying to tell you about it. Sometimes kids don’t even necessarily mean to be cruel, but it can still feel that way to your child when his differences are being highlighted at every turn. If you think your child may be being picked on at school, speak with the guidance counselor to see what she has noticed and what she suggests that you do, but make sure that you’re making efforts to boost his self-esteem at home as well.
It’s Okay to Embrace Your Child’s Weight
Most importantly, embrace the way your child is no matter what. She should feel comfortable with who she is no matter what her weight is and understand that your focus on her weight is out of concern for her health rather than an emphasis on her looks. Just because she is overweight doesn’t mean she’s not a good child, and she needs to know that.

Source: Aupair.org

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Why You Should Talk To Your Kids' Friends' Parents' About Internet Safety

Nearly every child in America is familiar with the Internet. And because children of today have grown up in a world with technology at their fingertips, most are savvy when it comes to using the Internet. In fact, most kids of today are better skilled with computers than their parents and their teachers. This is a good thing, but at the same time, it means parents have to be extra cautious about what kids are doing online.

The Internet can be a very dangerous place, especially for those without a lot of life experiences – those that are naive in some ways. Although today’s youth may begin using the Internet at a very young age, they still have not experienced enough of life to always understand that they are vulnerable targets to certain types of predators.

Online Safety

Most parents take the time to instruct their children from an early age about online etiquette and safety – the dos and don’ts of where they can and cannot visit and who it is safe to talk to. But as children age, they tend to find websites that offer new entertainment factors. From sites that offer nothing but games or videos to chat lines and forums intended for older audiences, kids can find websites that entertain in a way that is inappropriate for younger age groups.

The problem is not so much that the entertainment is inappropriate; much more worrisome are the sinister characters that are often lurking in these places, waiting to prey on unsuspecting victims. Wise parents know it is okay to visit the computer history tab and to even use parental locks to keep children safe while online.

Many parents go as far as to keep laptops and computers in central locations. This makes it easy to look over the user’s shoulders to see what sites are being visited. But what happens when kids visit friends? Unfortunately, this is often the time when kids take advantage of a parent being gone or when a parent is inattentive to what sites are being visited online.

Reasons to Talk to Kids’ Friends’ Parents About Internet Safety

Kids will be kids, and when given the opportunity, they are likely to take advantage of it. This is only natural. And this is the main reason many wise parents decide to talk to their kids’ friends’ parents about Internet safety.
It gives them a chance to find out if the same Internet safety guidelines and practices are followed in the friend’s home. If nothing else, the conversation can provide a certain level of peace of mind. Ideas and stories can be shared.
Because the real issue is the online safety of children, everyone is on board with the topic. Below are the top three reasons for having the discussion in the first place:

1. Children that use the Internet may be exposed to cyber bullying
2. Children that use the Internet may be exposed to pornography
3. Children that use the Internet may be exposed to child predators

About Cyber Bullying:

Cyber bullying refers to incidences when kids, including teens, are harassed, threatened, or tormented in some way through the use of the Internet or other digital technology.

About Pornography:

The Internet makes it possible for kids to accidentally or purposely view pornographic material.

About Child Predators:

One of the things that make the Internet so wonderful is that people can remain anonymous, but this is also what can make the Internet such a dangerous place. Kids and teens don’t always know who they are interacting with. The Internet is a playground for pedophiles and other sexual predators.
Another important reason to talk to your kids’ friends’ parents about Internet safety is related to identity theft and personal safety. This is a very real concept in today’s world. Caution should be used when entering information online. This includes giving out phone numbers and addresses.

The Internet is a wonderful learning resource. Kids should be introduced to technology at a very early age, and parents should encourage a continued interest. But parents will have to do their part to ensure kids are safe while online.

Contributor:  Debbie Allen is a freelance writer who writes about a wide variety of topics such as how to choose the best gutter style for your home and parenting issues.

Do You Know Who Your Teen Is Chatting With Online? The Catfish Scam

This is not just about teens and kids; adults and parents can be lured by deceptive people digitally.

The sad tale of Manti Te’o and his fraudulent girlfriend has brought a problem with online dating to light: the risk of catching a catfish. “Catfish” is the term used to describe a person who poses as someone they’re not in order to establish a relationship with an unsuspecting online dater.

These scams can be carried out for financial gain, or simply to fulfill a need for acceptance and love that the catfish isn’t feeling in their actual lives. Whatever the motive, perpetrating such a ruse can have heartbreaking effects on the targeted party.

If you’re in an online relationship or considering one, here are 10 ways to guard yourself against a catfish scam.

1. Web Search – Some people hesitate to “Google” their new online sweetheart for fear of invading their privacy. The truth is, a quick web search may turn up a few pieces of information that confirm your significant other’s identity. You don’t have to pry or dig into personal backgrounds with in-depth reports. Just run a quick search and see what comes up.
2. Insist on Webcam Chats – When someone you’re dating online dodges webchats for an extended period of time, it’s often an indicator that she isn’t who she claims to be. It’s understandable to be hesitant about webchatting in the earliest stages of a relationship, but it’s a bit fishy when she’s professing her undying love but still dodging the camera.
3. Read Between the Lines – It’s easy to miss signs that are literally right before your eyes when you’re swept up in the excitement of a new romance. Before you get too emotionally invested, make a habit of reading between the lines of what he says and listening to what he doesn’t say. Fabricating an entirely new personality isn’t easy and you may be able to pick up on some subtle warning signs.
4. Their Facebook Wall – Creating a fake Facebook profile is easy, but making it look genuine is not. When you scan your new sweetie’s Timeline, look at the things posted there. A plethora of games and app requests combined with a dearth of personal postings may be a red flag that the person you’re dating doesn’t actually exist. Think about the things that your own friends and family members post on your wall; if they’re missing from his, it may be because the fictitious character you’re chatting with has no friends or family.
5. Critical Thinking – When emotion takes over, it’s difficult to think about things objectively and use your own common sense regarding the situation. In many cases, however, an entire false relationship could have been avoided with a bit of old-fashioned critical thinking. If something doesn’t seem to add up, it’s usually because there are holes in the story.
6. Trust Your Instincts – Your own instincts are a powerful detection tool, but they may be hard to follow when you’re focused solely on your emotions. Having a hunch that all is not what it seems or a nagging feeling that something is off with your new relationship is a sure sign that you should dig a bit deeper before investing further.
7. Look for Photo Tags – Group photos posted on Facebook or other social networking sites that include your honey, but have none of the other members tagged, can be a sign of a stolen picture. To realistically fake a fully-tagged group shot, a catfish would have to create and maintain that many fraudulent accounts. In the end, even the most dedicated sweetheart scammers probably won’t have that kind of time on their hands.
8. Use Dating Sites With Verification Services – To help stem the tide of con-artist heartthrobs, some online dating sites are offering verification services that ensure an account holder is who they claim to be. Using these sites to meet someone allows you an extra layer of security against catfish scams.
9. Be Wary of Elaborate Excuses – Car trouble or bad weather are par for the course in anyone’s life, but if your online girlfriend keeps putting off meetings or webchats because she’s been in a coma-inducing car accident before being sucked into a tornado and swallowed by a tsunami, there’s a good chance there’s a bit of dishonesty going on. Elaborate, over-the-top tales of woe are a trademark move of relationship scammers and can be a very reliable indicator that you’re not talking to the person who you think.
10. Pay Attention to Detail – Keeping track of all the many details that are necessary to convincingly fake an entire personality and life history is amazingly difficult. Simply keeping an eye out for details that don’t add up or stories that don’t fit into a proper timeline can give you all the evidence you need of an Internet sweetheart that’s not shooting straight.

In the interest of protecting your assets, it’s wise never to send money to someone you’re dating online and have never met in person. Online dating is a legitimate way of meeting and establishing relationships with open and honest people, but there is a slight chance that you’ll come across a huckster or two before you meet your intended.

Source: Longhorn Leads

Should you discuss Catfish with your teens? Absolutely! Click here for tips.

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Sexual Predators: Ways They Seek Kids Online

With many parents online shopping it also means more adults with not the same motives will be online also.  Do your kids practice online safety measures?

Children today are growing up with the Internet as a regular part of life, yet the World-Wide-Web was fairly new when their parents were young. Along with all the fun and informative things available to children online, a serious danger also lurks. Internet predators like to use the anonymity of the Internet, and are constantly on the lookout for innocent victims.

It’s important for parents to be aware of the ways sexual predators troll for kids online.

Here are 10 things to watch out for to keep your kids safe on the Internet.

1. Online games – One place Internet predators connect with kids is online games. They will choose games that are popular with the age group they prefer and pose as other kids to foster a friendship with children. Predators will watch for gamer names that indicate the gender, location or other information that is useful to them.
2. Chat rooms – Sexual predators will pose as kids in chat rooms that are popular with children. This is an easy way for them to garner information and target unsuspecting youngsters. Once they gain a child’s trust, they may try setting up a meeting in person.
3. Facebook – Parents need to be very careful about whether or not they allow their children to have their own personal Facebook accounts. This is prime hunting grounds for Internet stalkers who target kids. It’s very easy for them to set up fake Facebook pages and “friend” teens and preteens.
4. Twitter – Social media is a great way for pedophiles to connect with their victims, and Twitter is no exception. Many young people use tweeting as their primary form of communication, and predators know this and go where the kids are.
5. Websites for kids – Parents may think websites like Disney and PBS Kids are safe for their children to frequent, but predators like to frequent them too. What better place is there to find lonely kids who want to chat?
6. Instant messaging – Since emails will linger in an account until they’re deleted, Internet predators prefer to use instant messaging that disappears once the window is closed. This makes it harder for parents to monitor who’s talking to their kids and what they’re saying.
7. MySpace – Some consider MySpace one of the worst sites for online predators who want to connect with children. The online surveys are fun to fill out, but they also provide lots of information that can be used to gain trust with unsuspecting youngsters.
8. Pictures – Parents need to educate their children on how pictures posted online can be used by sexual predators. It helps them to identify kids who fit their personal preferences, and any picture posted online can be used and manipulated by anyone. Child pornographers are constantly monitoring the Internet for potentially suggestive photos of children.
9. Target the vulnerable – Internet predators are constantly on the lookout for vulnerable children that they can exploit. Kids that are lonely, unhappy, who are having difficulty with school, or who have poor relationships with their parents are easy targets. They also like kids who are willing to keep secrets from their parents or other authorities.
10. Use coded language – The shortcut language that kids use for texting makes it harder for parents to readily understand what they’re saying. Just glancing over their child’s shoulder, a text message can look like gobbledygook, so parents need to learn this coded language to help keep their kids safe. You better believe the Internet predators know exactly what texting shortcuts mean and how to use it to gain a child’s trust.

Being aware of the inherit risks that the Internet poses to innocent children is the first step parents who want to keep their children safe need to take. Parents need to educate themselves and their children about the dangers of Internet predators as they teach them how to use the Web.
Establish rules and guidelines for computer and cell phone use, and keep the computer in a common area easily observable by parents and siblings. Use online tools for privacy settings and set up parental alerts. Parental involvement is the key to protecting your children from online sexual predators.

Source: Nanny News Network

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School Safety: How Safe Is Your School?

In the light of the Sandy Hook tragedy and a smattering of school shootings over the course of 2012, many parents are beginning to wonder in earnest if their children are actually safe in their schools. Fears of violent attacks aside, you may also be wondering if your little ones would be adequately protected and looked after in the event of a natural disaster or catastrophic weather conditions.

While there is no surefire way to predict the future, there are steps you can take as a parent to ensure that the children in your child’s school are being protected and kept safe to the best of the administrators’ abilities.

Visit
The only way that you can actively observe your kids’ schools and the daily procedures that are in place is to visit. Be sure that you stop at the office to explain your presence, prove that you are the parent of a student and ask for a tour. Watching the children as they make their way to classes and seeing common areas and safety features for yourself will allow you to not only determine how the school is operated and if you feel that their practices are safe, it will also help you learn more about the layout of the school in case of an emergency. Taking the time to visit your child’s school will also provide you with the opportunity to do a bit more in-depth investigation.

Communicate With Administrators and Teachers
During a visit to the school, you’ll be able to see the daily operations and routines. More importantly, however, you’ll be able to meet with and talk to your child’s teachers, school administrators and others in positions of power. You can ask them about any procedures they have in place for managing a violent attack on the school, how they deal with violence between students, the official stance and repercussions for bullying and what procedures are in place for managing dangerous weather conditions. Sometimes speaking to administrators and getting the chance to become acquainted with them will be enough to ease your mind altogether.

Talk to Your Child
The best source of information at your child’s school is your child. He knows more about the daily goings-on than you could ever determine just by visiting, and also understands the inner workings of both the student body and school administrations. If he seems hesitant to discuss certain subjects or exhibits signs of fear, reluctance to go to school or frequently feigns illness, there may be a chance that he simply does not feel safe there. While it is wise to keep in mind that kids can be prone to exaggeration when they’re under stress or worried about world events, there could be some truth to your child’s statements. Administrators and staff can put on a convincing face for visiting parents, especially when they’re expecting them and have time to prepare statements. Kids that spend the majority of their days in the school, however, may have a more realistic view of them.

Examine Disciplinary Policies
In the hustle and bustle of the back-to-school rush, it can be easy to toss your child’s student handbook aside for later perusal and simply never get to it. Those documents, however, almost always contain valuable information about procedures and policies, including disciplinary actions. Knowing what the school is willing to subject a child to in the name of punishment and whether or not those disciplinary actions line up with your own parenting procedures can give you an even greater idea of the school’s safety level.

Consider Emergency and Disaster Plans
After a violent attack on schoolchildren is sensationalized in the news, it’s easy to focus solely on the possibility of violence. Because some areas of the country are more prone to some natural disasters and weather problems than others, you’ll need to know what the emergency and disaster plan is for severe weather in your area. Knowing what plans the school has in place for such situations and how well-prepared they would be in the event of a disaster striking your individual geographic area will help you be more informed when deciding whether or not your kids are safe in their schools.

Source: Find A Nanny