How can you keep your child safe at college? This is something that I think we all worry about when our kids are gone to college or out into the real world. This worrying will never stop for us, but we can rest a little bit easier with these college safety tips.
Here are some easy ways to keep a child safe at college -or as safe as possible without the bubblewrap!
Discussions about safety should probably start a little bit at a time in middle school as they start to go out with friends. We trained our boys to always be aware of where they were. To look for exit signs. To pay attention to where they were going, and listen closely to directions. To not get into a car if anyone in it had been drinking -even someone who wasn’t driving…
Our kids are getting drilled at school, and we need to talk with them about things that are happening in the news, and have them think about what might be the best thing to do in each situation.
I have come up with some safety ideas that will hopefully ease my mind as well as yours!
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Keep your child safe at college: Prepare them
Have some conversations with your teen before they leave for college.
Discussions: About date safety. About “no means no, no matter when she says no”. About having a campus buddy. About being aware of their surroundings. About locking up medications. About various situations where drinking or drugs may be involved.
One really important life skill that would be great to send our kids out the door with is CPR. This would be great to do as a family. My boys all had to do this for scouting. I was always glad, especially when we were around grandparents in case something happened! Here is the link to sign up for a class at your local Red Cross. This will give them the confidence to be more sure what to do in the case of an emergency.
If your child has gotten to school without this training, sign them up for the class over holiday break!
College can be so much fun, but our teens need to be made aware of all of this and more. Talk with your teen!
Keep your child safe at college: When they go out
Drink scrunchie -Do you worry when you know your teen is headed out? This nifty little drink cover will keep anyone from easily putting a pill or powder into a drink. It can be worn AS a scrunchie until it is needed! Guys need to use these too, and they could have it in their pockets until needed. Rape is a serious issue, and this is a great defense against it.
This bracelet is the bomb for your daughter! -Here is the necklace and a cute keychain. These are a little more pricey. They are are pretty, though, and if needed, they would be great to have around. She can just push the button, and it activates a GPS device. No one would ever know! They need to make some for the guys!
This hair clip is actually a survival tool! It can be so many things… bottle opener, box cutter saw, screwdriver, wrench, and more! It can also be put on a keychain, just in case.
Here is a great tool to carry for safety. It has pepper spray and a stun gun. It is small enough to carry in a purse or pocket.
Here is a tiny portable charger for your teen’s phone. This is something that they should have charged at all times. If your teen has their phone, they can call for help, take a photo (or video) of their attacker or situation.
ICE : Personal Safety App -This will: share your Real Time Location with someone you trust -they can see your current location using this app or any web browser. Keeps track of important medical or support information on Lock Screen for First responders and Doctor.
- you can save useful information for rescue workers (allergy, medication, condition, identity, organ donor, blood type …) and doctor contact “in case of emergency”.
- 3) ICE contacts for call in Emergency.
(There are lots of safety apps. Be sure to check into these to get the best fit for your family.)
Guy or girl, they need to be prepared. No matter what we envision for our kids’ relationships, we want them safe.
Once your teen turns 18, a lot of things change for both you and your teen. Check out this post to be sure that you both know the legal ramifications for this big birthday.
Keep your child safe at college: Staying in
This small device adds onto a lock for a door for more security. This would be good for anyone who would like some added security!
And, here is a door stopper alarm that your teen could put under their door at night if they wanted to fell more secure.
Even just a plain old door stop inserted under the door at night adds considerable safety to a room!
Keep your child safe at college: Car safety
Here is an entire post about travel safety for our teens (and ourselves!)
A road distress kit is an easy thing to throw into the back of your teen’s car -just in case!
Personal safety keychain –comes equipped with a siren to be used in emergency situations.
Anti touch opener -This is great to have in the car for opening doors etc without having to touch them -if covid or something similar becomes a thing again…
If your teen is anything like mine, they wear shorts year round. If they end up in a bad situation during cold weather, an emergency blanket is a great thing to have! They fold up tiny, and can also be something that is thrown into the back of the car.
Keep your child safe at college-health matters
Here is a first aid kit for a dorm room or car -full of supplies that might be needed.
Our son had to purchase a safe for his meds after he them stolen. This is a must if your teen takes any sort of prescribed medication!
**Here is some advice from my son who graduated from college a couple of years ago to give to your teens going into college… He was president of his fraternity for 2 years, and saw a lot of things… Remember that no one and no club should ask you to do things that you would not normally do. This should be a red flag!
If you have never had an alcoholic drink before, then don’t have a lot all at once. No one should be making you drink. If you get into a situation that is uncomfortable, say that you have to use the bathroom, and use that opportunity to leave wherever you are.
If, for some reason, you cannot leave a situation, text someone, anyone, for help. Tell them exactly where you are and what the situation is.
Keep your child safe at college -online safety
This company has great plans for keeping your teen safe online as well as limiting their screen time, if that is something you are concerned about.
Be sure that your teen knows these basic rules for online security.
Make sure that your teen is aware of the ramifications of sexting. Even if you are sure your teen isn’t doing this, they still need to be made aware -just in case. It is a serious crime, especially once they are 18…
Keep your child safe at college -overdose
The chances of someone your child knows of having an overdose is actually pretty high- absolutely no pun intended. This would be the absolute worst case scenario, but these types of deaths are on the rise.
There are situations of regular everyday candies and OTC meds being laced with fentanyl. If this were to happen to, and your student were around, there are things that you can do do get them prepared!
First, they should have at least one dose of Narcan available. This is a double dose, and is a nasal spray, so it’s easy to administer a dose. In order to determine if this is the problem that someone is having, there are these test strips -they come in a 5 pack. This case is designed to carry it all -it does not include the supplies!
One more thing to have on hand would be CPR masks. This kit is pretty much all-inclusive with non-latex options which is great for someone like me that has that allergy!
Final thoughts to keep your child safe at college
Teach your kids to be situationally aware -to always look for exits. Have a buddy when going out -someone you know will stay with you. Have pepper spray on hand and be ready to use it. Take a self defense class. Know your limits for drinking and keep an eye on your drink -don’t leave it unattended.
•Does your student have Student Prime at Amazon? There are so many advantages to this including the price! Discounts on the following: flights, tutoring, the Calm app, GrubHub, Prime videos and gaming, textbook purchases, Amazon photos, fashion Prime “try before you buy”, early access to Amazon lightening deals, and Whole Foods, and so much more!! Sign up for a 6-month trial here!
** This is good for 18-24 year olds, even if they aren’t a student!
Posts related to College Safety Tips:
Mental health safety for your teens
5 Crucial Conversation to Have With Your Teen Before College
NPP Review of Mama Bear Legal Forms -best way to keep our kids legally safe in a medical emergency
Big List of Back to School Resources for Parents of Teens
What You Need to Know When Your Teen Turns 18
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