For many of us it is summer now and the weather beckons us outside and calls us to go adventuring. There are some things though that we need to be mindful of and I wanted to share with you a helpful top 10 list to keep your children safe this summer.
- Don’t leave your children alone! If your like me, your parents started to leave you home alone at a young age with the normal instructions of stay in the house, don’t answer the phone or the door and so forth. As I got older during the summer it was common for me to be gone from sun up till 5pm for dinner and then out again till the street lights came on. Now I am not that old but things certainly have changed. Not only it is just a better idea to supervise your children but chances are it is a matter of legality these days. In my area no child below 8 years old can be outside alone and anyone under 8 years old needs to have someone over 13 watching them and even then it can only be for a certain number of hours and such. Get to know your local laws!
- Pool Safety if you have a pool than chances are you have a fence, unless you have an above ground pool you just put up for the season or a small child’s pool. Please be careful! In 2004 there where over 3,000 drowning deaths and of those 19% of child deaths where in public pools with lifeguards on duty. Please stay with your children and even if they can swim consider a life preserver device for young children. Empty pools in the yard if they could be gotten into by children without a parent watching. Plus, standing water leads to the next issue..
- Mosquitoes are not just annoying, they can be deadly. In 2009 it was reported that there had been 32 deaths of the 663 reported serious cases. The illness is spread when mosquitoes suck blood from an infected bird or animals and then transmit it to humans when they then suck on us. To keep their numbers down be sure to dump and dry any standing water and treat pools. If a neighbors pool is clearly an issue you can report them in most areas for it.
- Bug Spray can be a big danger to your family as well! If your sunscreen contains any of these chemicals some consider them to be Dangerous and Potentially Life Threatening. Check the labels and find something safe! ~ Para amino benzoic acid ~ Octyl salicyclate ~ Avobenzone
~ Oxybenzone ~ Cinoxate ~ Padimate O ~ Dioxybenzone ~ Phenylbenzimidazole ~ Homosalate
~ Sulisobenzone ~ Menthyl anthranilate ~ Trolamine salicyclate ~ Octocrylene - Sun Safety is something I honestly often forget about I am shamed to say. We know that prolonged sun exposure can cause cancer, not to mention painful burns! A good way to help prevent burns and protect your child’s skin is to make sure each child has a sun hat, maybe keep extras in the car for them. Finding safe sun screen can be hard but worth looking for. They now make clothing that protects people from the harmful rays of the sun but that is great for summer fun! Bring Large beach umbrellas with you and put the cover up on strollers to protect the baby!
- Sun Screen Safety can be a challenge for me, some of the chemicals used in my country are banned in other places and for good reason and yet I wouldn’t know if I had not looked them up. Finding a safe sunscreen can be hard, again if you see chemicals like the ones in the bug spray list look for another kind! Remember that your skin drinks in what is on it, including chemicals! Our bodies are toxic enough! When you do find a safe sunscreen you trust I would get three of them, one for your purse, your car, and your home!
- Car Seat Safety can be tricky for some in the summer with traveling and kids going to friends and planes and trains oh my! Please get refreshed on the laws and the laws of the places you will be traveling in. Beyond the laws know what is recommended by the experts. Did you know your baby should be rear facing till 2 and that some states don’t care how old a child is but rather their height and weight? Make sure everyone in your childs life knows that care seats are not optional and make sure they know how to use them correctly. Also know that if the straps get soaked by rain or soaked child that they must be replaced right away for safety reasons.
- Traveling Health with so many people traveling something often over looked is remembering to bring all your health insurance cards. It is not uncommon to get sick while traveling and you want to be ready. Know what your insurance wants you to do when your out of town with a sick child. Have numbers ready to call so you do not have to search for them on vacation. It is also a great idea to keep important information in your wallet or purse about where you live, contact info in case of an emergency and any medical allergies anyone in your family might have.
- Baby Sitter Safety can be very important. Make sure your baby sitter is legally old enough to baby sit in your area, check references, and even do background checks. It is not asking too much and there are services now that do all this for you so you can worry just a bit less. While it is important for Mom and Dad to get out, there will be little fun if your not comfortable with the baby sitter. I have heard great things about having a baby sitter come over for the first time and have them watch the children in the house for a few hours while adults have some time in the back yard for a BBQ or an evening of wine and talking with friends. This way you can be close, get some alone time, and get a feel for how the sitter handles the children.
- Stay Hydrated this one seems rather simple but it really is something often over looked. You really want to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke and this is a danger specially for children. Did you know the body can rise to 106 degrees in just 10-15 minutes? It is important to keep water in hand where ever you go. Drink often before you get to the point of thirst and remind your children to as well. Stay clear of cold water though as it can cause tummy cramps.
I hope this list has helped you in some small way to keep safe this summer.
Don’t forget to dance in the rain!
These are great tips. I am also amazed how much things have changed with respect to letting your children play outside alone. It is definitely a little sad, but also completely necessary to supervise your children at all times outside.
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