The Easter holidays are just around the corner, and parents are gearing up to keep their children safe while they enjoy a hard-earned break from school.
“As parents, we know that safety is your top priority. That’s why we are here to offer some valuable tips to ensure your children have a secure and enjoyable first-term school holiday,” says Charnel Hattingh, Group Head of Communications and Marketing at Fidelity ADT.
Here are some safety tips from Fidelity ADT that will come in handy during the Easter holidays:
. Make sure your children are in a safe, controlled environment while you’re at work, such as a trusted school after-care facility; in the care of a responsible caregiver or family member; or attending a reputable holiday club or school-organised camp.
. Teach your teenagers how to operate your alarm system and press the panic button to familiarise themselves with the process in case of an emergency (be sure to call and warn your service provider of the false alarm beforehand).
. Ensure that all doors are locked, and easily accessible windows are closed if your children are going to be home alone. Instruct them not to allow anyone to enter the property without permission from you, no matter what they may say or who they claim to be.
. Child-proof your home, especially for toddlers and younger kids who may get bored and go digging through the cupboards.
. Ensure swimming pools are sealed off when you’re not by the pool, especially if you have toddlers, with a fence and safety net. Caregivers or family members should always keep a close eye on any swimming children.
. Save important emergency contact numbers on your kids’ phones and keep a printed list of these numbers close, such as on your fridge or next to the landline, including those of your local SAPS station and numbers of neighbours who you trust.
. Teach your children to memorise their details, including their name and surname, home address, and contact details for either parent. Children as young as 3 and 4 years old are taught to memorise these contact details at crèche and day-care schools. Make sure yours know too.
. With smaller kids who are prone to wondering, you can even write your name and phone number with a permanent marker on the child’s arm when you’re out and about with the kids at places with big throngs of holiday crowds and a lot of traffic, or where your children could get easily get lost or lose sight of you.
