As provinces plan for the safety of parents returning to work and children with no school, who is preparing children to stay home alone safely?
Even if children have stayed at home in the past, are they now prepared to safely navigate the dangers of an increased online reality when their parents are no longer there to supervise their online learning? Are older children equipped to care for younger siblings? Are children prepared for “tricky people” who may try to take advantage or harm them? Do they know basic first aid?
At Safety Tree, we have successfully taught children’s safety courses in Ontario communities for the past 5 years. Parents look for our courses to fill off-school times such as PD days, weekends and school holidays.
With the onset of the recent pandemic, we were forerunners of adapting our courses to virtual classrooms. Our new online platform has been well received by parents and students. With the pivot to virtual classrooms, we are now able to teach anytime and anywhere. The courses include interactive discussion, games, videos and hands-on learning. Our small class sizes are led by Elementary certified teachers also trained in First Aid/CPR. Courses are currently hosted through Zoom one hour per day over 5 days.
We need your help to get the word out that these courses are still available and that we are no longer limited to teaching during school breaks!
Safety Tree is a training partner of SOS4Kids and Canadian Red Cross. We are also an Ontario Living Wage employer. Children learn life skills that will keep them safe and make caring and respectful decisions in their everyday lives.
We offer a variety of courses virtually for children and youth:
Home Alone Safety for Kids is designed for children aged 9 through 12 years old. The focus is on gaining confidence and skills to stay at home alone successfully. Street smarts and bike safety, online and internet safety, “tricky people” , home fire safety, sibling rivalry, how to handle emergencies and first aid are all covered. All information is current and reflects what today’s children are facing when home alone.
The Red Cross Babysitting Course is designed for youth aged 11 – 14. Participants learn how create and manage a babysitting business and how to supervise younger siblings or other children in a safe and responsible manner. Aspiring babysitters also learn basic first aid skills.
My Safe Life is a personal safety program created for children 6 – 8 years. The program uses traditional gaming, digital media, video, role play and repetition to teach children. Children learn life skills that will keep them safe and make caring and respectful decisions in their everyday lives. Some topics include; “tricky people”/inappropriate adult behaviours, bullying prevention, building strong communities (respect, kindness and manners), travel safety, emergencies vs non-emergencies and basic self-defence.
