By: Michelle Dutrow, Superintendent of West Branch Area School District
As winter quickly approaches with its bitter cold temperatures and mixed precipitation, it’s a good time to review some basic tips for dressing your children warmly as they head out to school each day.
Many children in rural Clearfield County are outside for a considerable amount of time each morning as they wait for the bus and even a short period of time can be dangerous for children if not dressed appropriately.
Likewise, many schools also maintain outdoor recess during the winter months on milder days, which can leave children cold and wet. Here are some tips that can make your child comfortable and keep them safe during the winter months:
- Dress your child in layers of loose-fitting clothing on extremely cold days. Consider an undershirt with the regular shirt or sweater and add a second pair of socks or gloves just for the trip. Remind your children they can take off a layer once they get to school.
- Some sort of a winter coat is a must. A hoodie is just not sufficient when temperatures drop below freezing.
- Use a ski mask for waiting at the bus stop when the wind chill becomes a factor. Covering the mouth and nose keeps your child from breathing in the frigid air.
- Buy your child “fun” accessories such as hats, gloves, socks and scarves to increase their motivation to wear them each day. Character-based accessories seem to be a fan favorite. The sillier or brighter, the better!
- Don’t forget the hat and boots. Even if there is not much snow on the ground, a hat and boots serve to keep the head and feet warm which in turn helps to warm the rest of the body.
Dressing your child for this time of the year is not always easy for some families. Due to the rising cost of outdoor clothing and accessories, many school districts have programs to offer parents assistance.
Should you find that you are unable to adequately dress your child for the winter months, you should feel comfortable contacting your child’s school as they are ready to offer this type of assistance. The safety of the children comes first and schools want them to be warm and safe at the bus stop and during recess.
This safety message was brought to you by Clearfield County Safe Kids. Clearfield County Safe Kids is part of Safe Kids Worldwide (http://www.safekids.org/), a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children, the number one killer of kids in the United States.
For more information, please contact Judy Patterson, nutrition-safety advisor for Cen-Clear, at 814-342-5678, Ext. 2264. The coalition always welcomes new members and traditionally meets the third Tuesday each month at 12 p.m. at Cen Clear-Child Services, 60 Industrial Park Rd., Clearfield, PA 16830.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Donations to the local Clearfield County Safe Kids Coalition are tax-deductible and can help ensure the word about safe practices can be spread all year long.
Clearfield County Safe Kids is a co-sponsor of Clearfield County’s Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® held each September, Cen-Clear’s Safety Expo held each October and various other safety events throughout the county.