New Home? Help Your Kids Stay Safe
When you’ve moved to a new home, your kids are going to have to deal with a new neighborhood. With any luck, they’ll be able to go to the same school and hang out with the same friends, but things don’t always work out this way.
If you’re going to move to a new neighborhood, then it’s vital that you take steps to ensure your child stays safe in this unknown territory. Here are just some of things you should do to help protect your kids (and maybe even yourself!).
Research crime statistics
A lot of people don’t actually like to look up the crime stats in their area; they seem to take an “ignorance is bliss” view and assume that nothing will happen to them anyway! But knowledge is power, so finding out what sort of dangers might lurk in specific areas can be very helpful, especially when it comes to picking areas where your kids are allowed to roam in the first few weeks of your residence.
Explore the area together
The best way to get to know a new neighborhood is to explore it thoroughly. So consider going for family walks in the early evening, and checking out some of the local amenities on the weekend! You can, of course, use resources like Google Maps to get a good bird’s eye view of the area, but nothing really replaces getting out there and going for a walk. Remember to make notes of landmarks, street names, particular stores – any standout features that can help your kids find their way around.
Keep track of them
If your kids want to go exploring for themselves, then you might find yourself in a tricky predicament. You want them to be safe, and the fact that you don’t know the neighborhood like the back of your hand can be off-putting. At the same time, you don’t want to keep them inside all day, nor can you accompany them every time! If your kid has a smartphone, then you can consider getting an Android or iPhone monitoring app, which can help you keep track of their whereabouts using GPS and a map. Just remember to tell them that you’re tracking them!
Get to know your neighbors
If you don’t actually know anyone in your new neighborhood, then it can be pretty difficult to get comfortable and confident in your surroundings. Thankfully, a lot of people are pretty curious to meet new neighbors when they see the moving trucks roll into a nearby driveway. Your neighbors can help look out for you and your kids. If your neighbors have kids than can befriend your own, then this is even better.
Make sure they know your new details
Your kids should get to know your new address and phone number by heart. They can log these things in their phones, if they have them – but it’s really much better to make sure they also have this information committed to memory. For the first few weeks, ask them every so often what those details are. This will help drill the information into their heads!
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