Safety is a big deal, because 'dead' is a big deal, pain is a big deal, medical bills are a big deal, 

and accidents affect your options in life. 

Every stage of life has its own set of safety rules. Here are some safety truths for middle-graders. 

Wear helmet and pads appropriate pads to the sport you are doing. 

Enter car zones with caution whether on foot or with wheels.

Buckle your seat belt. 

How many home videos have you seen, where girls got their hair caught in an electric-mixer? 

Stay clear of adult machines and appliances until your Adult trains you how to use them. 

Even then, don’t get squirrelly around machinery. 

Wear shoes proper for the terrain. 

Falling on ice hurts. On ice, walk like a penguin.

Going barefoot in a creek is an easy way to find broken glass and fish hooks. 

And running by a pool is a no-no. 

Once my kids got to a certain age, they had to help with dishes, washing and drying by hand. 

rule was, if someone found a sharp knife in the dishwater, they didn’t have to finish the dishes. 

Oh, did I mention seat belts? 

Wash your hands before eating, in case you handled something bad in the kennel, garage or garden. 

AND…you need wash your hands before you use the toilet, not just after. 

Don’t poison your potty-parts with some unknown weed-itchery or poison.

I've read where someone needed to poop in the woods, and used leaves to wipe with, but the leaves were itchy-poison. My! 

This rule also applies to girls using eye makeup. Wash your hands before putting on eye makeup.

'Muscous membranes' are more susceptible to poisoning than the rest of the body, because mucous membranes 

absorb chemicals faster than skin does. Mucous membranes include: eyes, mouth, nose and lungs, potty-parts.

Finally,

Wear sunglasses and sunscreen as you should. 

Toys, books and other stuff, left on the stairs or in your home’s walkways, can hurt someone. 

Homes too have traffic lanes, like streets, that need to stay clear. 

Eric J. Rose 

middlegrademysteries.com 

photo: https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/agenda/opinion/cn-briefing/idiots-ladders-risking-life-and-limb-to-climb-ladders-15-01-2015/