Essential back-to-school safety tips for parents cover travel, personal privacy, and daily routines to keep children protected.

Travel and Commute Safety

• Walking: Teach kids to use sidewalks and cross at corners using traffic signals, as outlined by Safe Kids Worldwide. Children under 10 should cross with an adult. [1]
• Biking: Ensure your child wears a properly fitted helmet and rides on the right side in the same direction as traffic. Practice the route together beforehand. [1]
• Bus Riding: Stand back from the curb while waiting. Wait for the bus to stop completely before approaching. [1]

• Social Media: Avoid posting first-day-of-school signs or photos that display your child's full name, age, teacher, or school name.
• Belongings: Put your child's name on the inside of their backpack or lunch box rather than the outside to prevent strangers from using it to gain false trust.
• Identification: Teach young children your phone number, full name, and address. [1, 2, 3, 4]