Safety for latchkey kids

I am a single parent who is often at work when my 11-year-old daughter gets home from school. What steps can I take to best ensure her safety during the hours that I’m unable to be there?

There’s no doubt about it — a supervised home is preferable. However, a full workday does not always allow us that opportunity. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to help ensure the safety of your children when they are home alone. (The following advice typically applies to children ages 11 and up; children younger than 11 require supervision at all times.)

Children should keep their house keys hidden while walking home. Do not permit your child to experiment with different routes between home and school.

Walking home with friends or a trusted adult is a good idea, and once your child is home, she should check in with a responsible adult to confirm that she has arrived home safely.

Establishing a daily schedule so that your child has something to do during her time at home is very important as well. Boredom often leads to trouble, so you should provide some kind of educational or entertaining activity for your child, such as a puzzle, art materials, or even simple chores. You may also want to keep some healthy snacks around.

Post your contact emergency numbers by the phone and make sure that your child knows what to do and who to reach in case of an emergency.

Do a few mock run-throughs with her for practice. Also, post house safety rules regarding the use of appliances and answering the door and telephone. (Children should not answer the door for strangers and should never indicate that they are home alone over the telephone.)

The tips above should help, but consider looking for ways to provide your child with supervised care, such as a local recreational organization or an after-school program. Some children may have fears about staying home alone and need an adult to answer their questions and concerns. Talk with your child about staying home alone and make sure that she is comfortable with the situation.

Busy workday or not, it is important to spend time with your child each day; your love and attention cannot be replaced.

The Vincent Smith School

Vincent Smith School is a non-profit, coed, independent school for grades 1-12 that serves students from Nassau, Suffolk, and NYC since 1924. The school is most known for its small classes, supportive staff, and individualized programs for students with learning differences such as Dyslexia/Dyscalculia/Dysgraphia, as well as school anxiety, school reluctance, or ADHD.&nbsp; We emphasize academic, college-prep success through differentiated instruction and on-site services as needed for reading, speech, or OT in dedicated classrooms. VSS offers rolling admissions throughout the year at our scenic Port Washington campus. &nbsp;

The Gillen Brewer School

Together, we see the possibilities &ndash; and together, we will help your child make meaningful strides forward. That&rsquo;s the Gillen Brewer difference: an integrated, academic-therapeutic approach combined with a school-home partnership that supports and celebrates your child&rsquo;s complex learning needs. Since 1992, Gillen Brewer has used a collaborative approach between teachers and therapists to provide differentiated instruction and seamlessly integrated therapies to help children with a broad range of language-based learning disabilities grow into students who are: Proud of their progress as they become determined, lifelong learners who advocate for themselves and take on new and greater academic challenges. Excited to explore their interests and the broader opportunities created for them within the school and surrounding community. Prepared to engage with the world with the self-confidence and independence gained from learning and thriving among trusted teachers, therapists, classmates, and families. In our safe and vibrant learning environment on the Upper East Side of New York City, students in Preschool-Grade 8 enjoy an authentic school experience &ndash; filled with social connections, field trips, and school traditions &ndash; while benefiting from year-round programming that offers academics, arts, physical education, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, and social groups. Gillen Brewer School is not only for students. It is a supportive and uplifting community for the entire family. Together, we can navigate your child&rsquo;s future &ndash; with care, respect, and unwavering optimism. Come see the possibilities with us.

FlexSchool

Our mission is to provide an engaging&nbsp;learning experience in a supportive environment where students are free to explore their&nbsp;passions, embrace their challenges and find a community of teachers and friends who&nbsp;understand and accept them as they are. Academics: To meet the unique needs of gifted and 2e learners &ndash; students who may have co-occurring&nbsp;learning challenges along with their gifts &ndash; we provide a gifted-level curriculum with built-in&nbsp;scaffolding, developed by credentialed experts in both gifted education and special education,&nbsp;as well as subject-area experts. Small, discussion-based classes ensure our students can&nbsp;engage in stimulating conversation with intellectual peers while receiving individualized attention&nbsp;and support. Talent Development and Experiential Learning: Central to our program is our strengths-based, interest-based approach to learning. All&nbsp;FlexSchool students pursue personal passion projects and choose from a diverse menu of&nbsp;enrichment activities and electives designed to support exploration and talent development. Our&nbsp;signature FlexFriday experiential learning program provides essential connections between&nbsp;classroom learning and the real world. Executive Functioning and Learning Support: All FlexSchool students have access to an extensive range of accommodations, including&nbsp;breaks as needed, daily executive functioning support, flexible seating, extended time, assistive&nbsp;technology and more. Learning Specialist support is available on every FlexSchool campus. Social-Emotional Learning and School Counseling: Our caring team of certified school counselors, under the guidance of a consulting psychologist,&nbsp;provide robust social-emotional learning and social pragmatics programming. Students are&nbsp;welcome to visit the school counselor at any time &ndash; no appointment necessary. FlexSchool&nbsp;counselors also maintain a collaborative relationship with parents and outside providers. Rolling admissions: We understand that student needs don&rsquo;t always neatly align with the academic calendar, so&nbsp;FlexSchool admits students on a rolling basis. To learn more, join FlexSchool founder Jacqui&nbsp;Byrne live via Zoom for a Virtual Open House. To receive a call from our admissions team,&nbsp;inquire online, email us at admissions@flexschool.net or call 908-279-0787.