When you are at school your the curriculum that is planned involves excursions and sometimes camps. This takes planning, organisation and looking at the risks involved. Your parents need to sign a permission slip so they know where you are going and that they understand the teachers have planned the event well. Now that you are a teenager you will be wanting to explore community activities in your leisure time a little more independently. You now need to think about how you are going to organise this and keep yourself safe just as your teachers and parents organise to keep everyone safe in the community.
Let’s have a look at a few things you need to know:
- Not everyone behaves well when in the community
- Not everyone obeys the rules
- Some people try to take advantage of other people
So what can you do to prepare yourself for being safe and enjoying the community with your friends or alone:
- Understand what good behaviour looks like and do it
- Take notice of the rules and follow them
- Do not speak with strangers who you think are behaving badly
You also need to be able to confidently manage yourself in the community, so think about:
- Can I travel safely
- Can I tell the time
- What would I do if I miss catching my bus
- Can I operate a phone
- Do I know how to get help in an emergency
- Can I manage my money or savings card
If you are not confident with all these things ask your family, friends and teachers to help you. Once you are confident then talk with your family about organising your first independent event in the community. Think about something like going to a movie with friends as this is a pretty safe option and it will give you confidence to plan your next adventure into the community. Enjoy!
