Every parent wants to know that their kids are being kept safe and after school is often a concern when it comes to the Toronto kids. This is a big city and for the most part a safe one, but like anywhere there are a certain amount of dangers that they could be exposed to.

For a lot of parents they have no choice but to leave the kids alone for a few hours after school as they themselves may not finish work on the same time schedule. For little ones, arrangements have to be made for a responsible adult to care for the kids during this time. For the older ones however, they feel they have outgrown the baby sitter and want their independence. This is a worry for us as parents, because we know our young people are often too trusting and don’t have the same worldly experience that most of us possess.

The important step is to talk openly with the young students and get them to form good safety habits without making them worry or become insecure. It all begins with good safety measures at home that the entire household follows. Simple measures like locking the doors and windows even when there are occupants in the home. Setting the alarm when leaving the residence no matter for how short a period of time, is another best practice.

Aside from this, getting the kids into the habit of checking in with you on a regular basis is also a good security step to implement. Almost all of this younger generation have phones so this shouldn’t be an issue.

Having set rules in place as to what is to transpire after school is another great security measure. Depending on your youngster and the area you live in you may want to make it a rule that they are to come straight home after school.

Another potential security measure is to get the kids involved in an after school program which would end at the same time as your work schedule. A routine for picking them up could then be arranged and it wouldn’t appear that this is a trust issue concerning them, or your being overly protective.

Setting up a neighborhood contact is another great resource that could be utilized especially for the youngsters who are just adapting to their independence. This way they know that someone is close by that they can rely on in the event they are concerned about their security or safety.