June is National Safety Month, and it's a good time to review general safety with your online student. Safety is not just practiced in emergency situations but should be a daily habit. Building a safety-conscious individual begins at home. Safety is an all-encompassing topic to be applied in every area of life. Here are areas of safety your student should know:
1. Safety Indoors
Objects indoors can sometimes be just as dangerous as those outside. Teach your student to practice caution when using sharp or heavy objects and household chemicals. Practice correct lifting methods together, and keep passage ways cleaned of obstructions to prevent falls. Do drills for fire, tornado or hurricane warnings, and have your student memorize the phone number of an emergency contact.
2. Safety Outdoors
Although home is safe place, the great outdoors offers a less controlled environment. To keep young ones safe, teach guidelines for interaction with traffic, weather, waterway, animals, and vegetation. Teach your student to respect nature-and to always practice being safe rather than being sorry. Provide a list of hospitals, police, and doctors on your student's cell phone or mobile device just in case.
3. Safety with People
We are all taught not to trust strangers. However, most danger posed by people often comes from those we know, whether intentional or not. While in a group, teach caution while playing sports, games, or interactive activities. On the flip side, groups can also provide safety while visiting unknown areas. Molestation often happens from friends or relatives, so teach your student to never enter into a situation that feels uncomfortable.
4. Safety in an Emergency
Above all, in an emergency, teach your student to stay calm. Having a cool head and relying on logic and not impulses or reactions could help your student save his own or someone else's life. Practice emergency scenarios with your student. Take a CPR class together or learn wilderness survival. Shadow an EMT, life guard, and doctor for a day to learn proper care or rescue techniques-then teach your student at home.
5. Safety Mentally
Physical safety is paramount. However, mental safeness is also important. Protecting the mind from harm whether substance abuse, manipulation or persuasion, bullying, propaganda, depression or delusions, or harmful mindsets is vital for building a safe individual. Safety is both inside and out requires teaching your student how to recognize warning signs and get when to get support from licensed professionals.
6. Safety Online
No where is your student more than online. Teaching your student online safety and netiquette, such as keeping personal information safe, respecting others, and being careful on whom to trust or befriend is essential. Just as in the "real world", the online world requires borders and guidelines. Monitor your student's internet or cell phone activity and teach precaution and mutual respect.
What is the most important safety tip you have taught your student?