Life at school can be difficult for a child. But no one should be left wondering how to help your child feel safe at school?
Whether it’s childhood bullying or the stress of their school curriculum, the school can be a stressful time in a child’s life.
If that stress amount is enough, it can lead to your child feeling unsafe, whether it’s due to the daily stress, high expectations set on them, going to school amidst COVID, and much, much more.
But as a parent, there are things you can do to help your child feel safe. For children with allergies, that can include wearing a medical alert bracelet for kids and informing their teachers, school nurse, and admins of their allergy. For children with learning disabilities, that can be working with the school to develop a curriculum that meets their needs.
Here are just some of the ways you can improve their lives while at school…
6 Simple Ways to Help Kids Feel Safer at School
Number ONE. Encourage them to advocate for themselves
One of the most important things you can teach your child, early on, is the value of self-advocating. Standing up for yourself is not easy to do, especially as a child, but it’s an essential skill to learn.
Whether it’s having a discussion with a teacher or standing up to a bully, your child should understand that they should always support themselves, first and foremost. While they should care for others and remain compassionate, they should learn that their desires and needs shouldn’t be forgotten in the process.
Two. If your child has an allergy, have them wear a medical alert bracelet
Allergies in children are common, but that fact doesn’t make it any easier on parents or their children. Allergy bracelets for kids are a simple way to protect children with allergies, whether they be foodborne or caused by specific animals, dust, plants, medications, etc.
A medical alert bracelet can clearly inform teachers, administrators, and fellow children about your child’s condition, telling them what things your child should avoid at all costs. And in the event that they have an allergic attack, adults can act accordingly, assuming that it is caused by your child’s allergy. Such information can help another person immediately call for emergency services and to reach for your child’s EpiPen.
Three. Think in the long-term
One of the biggest struggles of being a parent is thinking too far ahead. You might be the parent who already has your entire child’s future planned out, but you need to let go of those dreams. It’s your child’s life to live, and while you can help them stay on the right track, you need to let them live their life as they see fit.
Four. Teach them about balance
Childhood burnout has been on the rise, and with no surprise. Expectations on children are higher than ever before; technology and social media make it impossible to disassociate, and children are forced to take on many responsibilities at a younger age.
The best thing you can do for your child is to teach them about life balance. It might sound silly, especially regarding the talk nowadays about work-life balance, but it’s important for your child to learn the essential need for balance earlier rather than later.
While you don’t want to be strict about scheduling their time, you should teach them the importance of balancing various activities throughout the day, whether that be time on the computer, playing outside, studying, reading, doing their homework, scrolling social media, playing sports and much, much more.
Five. Maintain communication with their teachers
A simple way to help your child feel safer at school is to help them build a relationship with their teachers and admins. Part of that can be accomplished by forming relationships on your own, getting to know their teachers to effectively inform them of your child’s needs, concerns, interests, and more.
It can make it easier for teachers to reach out to you in the event that they notice anything worrisome about your child, whether it be the way other students are treating them or how they are performing in class.
SIX. Let them sleep
Sleep is imperative for children, but the unfortunate truth is that many kids don’t get enough sleep. Whether it’s due to too much homework or too much time on their phone late at night, not having enough sleep can be greatly detrimental to their health—both short-term and long-term.
Try and do what you can to improve their daily sleep. It will not only help them in their daily lives, improving their physical and mental health, but it will accordingly help them feel more focused and aware while at school.