How to Create a Family Safety Plan for the New Year

As the new year approaches, it naturally feels like a good time to organize and plan ahead. It is also a perfect time for putting into action (or reviewing), a simple safety plan for your family. With these tips, it is easier than you think!

Evaluating What’s Important

Create a list of the important concerns you have for your family. Consider both current concerns (e.g., "My child is not good about checking in with a safe grown up") and also future concerns (e.g., "My child will be taking the school bus in the fall"). Begin addressing the current concerns and start an action plan for your future concerns. 

Begin planning and practicing how you want to approach them with your child. Try adopting the motto “Be prepared, not scared” and avoid using scare tactics when talking about safety with your child.

Establishing New Habits

If you have not started talking to your child about safety on a regular basis, now is the time to start. Make reminders on your calendar if you need to. Help get yourself into a new habit of safety. Take time to “de-brief” with your family. Share the “favorite part / least favorite part” of your day. You can do this at dinner time, bed time or in the car. Just find a few minutes each day, to create a place for your child to be able to comfortably talk to you about what is happening in their day—and sharing your day, too! Kids don’t necessarily bring their problems to you in a nice tidy package. It can take months or weeks to divulge little bits and pieces to you, especially if something is bothering them. Often testing to see how you will react. So don’t freak out if they say something that catches you off guard.

Reviewing Who’s Who in Your Kid's Life

Review the safety rules your family already has in place. If you have school age children, talk to them about who the “approved” grown ups are to pick them up from school. Who are the adults they can go to if they are scared or need to talk? Who they can turn to if they need help if they get separated from you in public (here's a hit: have children seek out a mom or dad with kids).

Make safety a part of your new year and remember to make it fun, too.

About the author: Kim Estes is a child safety expert and the founder of Savvy Parents Safe Kids. Kim believes that every child deserves a safe childhood and that through prevention eduation, adults have the power to keep children safe.