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subject: Teach Your Child To Cross The Street Safely [print this page]


Teach Your Child To Cross The Street Safely

The first time a child crosses the street alone has to be one of the most frightening moments in the life of every parent. Before that first solo crossing takes place it is important for parents to teach their children everything they need to know about how to cross the street safely.

Part of this teaching, of course, is the old saw to "stop, look and listen". These basic safety concepts are easy to remember, and easy to apply in real life. And that real life training is every bit as important as those safety lectures on safe street crossing.

That is because children learn a great deal from what they see. Indeed, children often learn much more from the actions of the adults surrounding them than from what they are told. That is why it is critical for parents and caregivers to set a good example by always following the basic "stop, look and listen" rules themselves.

It is a good idea for parents to take their children on frequent walks around the neighborhood in order to reinforce what they have been teaching about street safety. This will allow the child to develop an ear for the traffic noises to look out for, while at the same time helping to develop the common sense and wisdom it will take to be safe in all aspects of life.

It is important as well for even the youngest children to understand what traffic lights are for and what they mean. Teaching the kids the meaning of red lights, yellow lights, green lights and pedestrian crossing lights is important. It is also important to teach the kids how to operate those pedestrian crossing lights, and how to react to them properly. In addition, it is important to teach children how to cross the street safely at intersections that do not have special pedestrian crossing signs. Teaching the kids to safely cross with the light in areas where there are no pedestrian signals is an important safety lesson. Of course it is important to always teach children to watch out for left turns and cross traffic, and to stay alert for the unexpected actions of motorists.

Even after the children have been taught to cross the street safely, it is important to supervise them as much as possible. Young children should not be allowed to cross the streets or roam the neighborhood on their own, and even older children need to exercise additional caution when crossing the street at night. Teaching the children the basic rules of the road, and to expect the unexpected is important, but it is also important to provide ongoing real world lessons in order to reinforce that experience.

by: Kevin Andersen




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