Former FBI agent reveals 3 simple safety tips parents should know if their kids are going to school

Once kids start going to school, parents worry about their safety. Not all parents can personally drop and pick up their kids, so knowing they’re in safe hands is a primary requirement. Right from the time kids leave their homes to the time they’re back, whether on the road, on the bus, or even at school, they may be exposed to unsafe situations that can be avoided. Former FBI agent and mom Tracy Walder (@theunexpectedspy) pitched 3 efficient tips parents can pay heed to to ensure the safety of their child at school. The mom, being an officer and parent, is well aware of the situations in the world and how parents feel about it and offered 3 simple pointers to help. 

The mom shared a message before addressing the 3 points about how parenting is unique and challenging for all parents. She also added that not all parents may agree with these tips and it’s completely up to mums and dads to take the advice or leave it. Walder added that she herself practices these simple things with her kids for their safety. “The first thing I do is I don’t put my child’s full name on the outside of their backpack,” the mom said. She pointed out that adding initials on backpacks for identification purposes or writing the full name inside is more than enough. She explained that the name being exposed to everyone may not be the best idea. “Strangers can call them using their name to make them feel comfortable,” the mom noted. 

Any child called by their name would ideally believe that the person calling them knows them and is not suspicious. The next tip Walder suggested was to avoid putting tags on kids’ bags. Many parents put tags on their kid's bags containing addresses and phone numbers. The mom pointed out that these can be easily accessed by unwanted people, especially when kids are walking to or from school. She suggested getting kids to memorize their parents’ numbers or have the address and other details written on the inside of the bag.

Lastly, Walder explained the use of air tags and why she chooses to keep them on her kids’ wrists or in their bags. “My kid doesn’t have an Apple Watch or iPhone but when we do go to crowded places like theme parks, carnivals and so on, we put an air tag on her wrist.” The mom added that these are kid-friendly and add an extra layer of protection. The tag helps trace belongings by connecting to a phone and showing the location on an app, per Apple. This allows parents to track their kids' location easily in case they get lost.

As an extra bit of advice, the mom also suggested not sharing kids’ details about their names, events, schools and so on on social media. “I know it’s the internet and they can get everything they need out there but I just don’t want to make it easier for them,” Walder concluded. Parents were grateful for the advice and picked up on the same. @jackieshchiedt2 wrote, “The best air tag trick I learned is to hide them in kids’ shoes. They don’t even know it’s there!” @allthingsmommyboutique added, “Good tips, mom. Thank you!” 

You can follow Tracy Walder (@theunexpectedspy) on TikTok for more content on parenting and safety.