Safety precautions for parents home schooling for the first time

We are all looking ahead to going back to school, but for some, that means school at home.

Many parents are unsure if they want their child walking back into a classroom this year.

One mother we spoke to says she feels her child is safer at home. But more time in the house can pose new challenges for parents.

“Even adults are not abiding by CDC guidelines and we’re going to expect children to abide by that? That’s just impossible,” said Bita Ardakani-Akrawi, a parent who is concerned about the return to school.

Akrawi says she will be homeschooling her son this fall. She says you can expect her to be a “Helicopter mom” watching his every move.

“At four or five years of age, you have to watch them even more like a hawk because they don’t understand safety as much as you tell them. Look if you do this, this could happen or that could happen, they don’t have that…they’re more curious at this age,” Akrawi said.

A slogan parents should enforce is “toys versus tools.”

Something the cape coral fire department says can keep those curious kids out of trouble.

“So you want to make sure that you put your matches and your lighters in a pile under cabinets. That would be difficult for children to reach and it also reduces the temptation for kids to play with them,” said Andrea Schuch, a member of the Cape Coral Fire Dept.

The Cape Coral Police Department is also issuing a safety warning, but their focus is on technology.

“Parents should definitely be going through their children’s phones, especially for social media posts, content, and to see who they’re talking to,” Sgt. Patrick O’Grady said.

Parents should also know life-saving measures like CPR. Something Akrawi says she made sure of.

“Parents should be CPR certified, especially now when they’re more at home in case of something happening or if they’re hiring a tutor make sure the tutor is CPR certified,” Akrawi said.

For Lee and Collier school districts there are four different options on the table for school next year. That includes in-person, home schooling, or two variations of virtual learning. You can read more about the different school options here.