You’re child is never too young to learn about road safety. Nothing terrifies me more than the thought of Dexter flying into the road and being hit by a car. Here are some top tips for teaching your pre-schooler the green cross code basics.
Now Dexter is a fully fledged waddler, he’s constantly on his feet. Of course it’s completely impractical to let him walk to the shops with me - a five-minute trip for me would be a two hour marathon for him! But it won’t be long until he’s walking beside me and exposed to a whole new set of dangers.
Here’s my plan of attack to get Dexter road safe:
Preparing for the walk
It might seem overzealous, but there are a few things every mother should have on her at all times. Luckily these are things that frequently live at the bottom of your handbag anyway. The first is pen and paper. If your child was to have an accident, best to have a notebook available to write down license plates and other details which might be useful for the emergency services. In the event you decide to seek road accident advice from a solicitor, there may also be number of things you might want to recall later.
The second is your mobile phone. It goes without saying if you are involved in any traffic incidents you’ll want stay beside your child when you call 999. As most smartphones also have cameras, if you get the opportunity you might also want to photograph the scene.
Practice makes perfect - Get out of the car!
Not only is walking a great form of exercise for your child, it’ll also help them become responsible pedestrians. It’s maddening that some school age children haven’t mastered the basics because they’ve been ferried around in the car for so long. For short trips, allow a bit of extra of time, set off earlier, and get your child walking.
Maintain contact
Whether you’re using reins, or chose to simply hold hands, make sure you have hold of your little ones when you approach a road. If you are using reins, make sure you limit your childs range so they can’t make a run for it. Don’t trust your child to keep ahold of a pram or pushchair either, it’s always best to have physical contact with them so you can control the pace.
Stop, Look & Listen
This might sounds obvious, but getting your child to remember it could save their life. Tips for getting it to sink in include:
Make it a game: Get your child to identify different vehicles and the sounds they make. Maybe print out a mini checklist so they can cross off all the different passing traffic they see (cars, lorries, buses and bikes). Familiarising them with the different dangers on the road is half the battle.
Make up a song: I’ve been all YouTube all morning trying to find a catchy song that addresses all the key points. Unfortunately they’re all a little too long to sing with your child at the roadside. If you’re child learns well through song, make up one of your own. This will help your child remember the order of the green cross code.
Watch other people: Watch a few people crossing the road and let your child critique their technique. Prepare a checklist and get your child to tick off each of the stages needed for a successful crossing.
Let them press the button
Much like ringing the bell on a bus, children love the idea of controlling the world around them. Most pedestrian crossings will have low buttons now for disabled and younger people. Let them press the button then follow the progress of the lights together.
So what’s your plan of attack? Do you have any tips of your own?
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