Summer Safety for Kids

For many families, the summer months are filled with everything from camps and vacations to just plain old summer relaxing! But while you're enjoying all of the fun that summer brings, it's important to make safety a priority as well. Here are some things to watch out for, and tips to help keep your kids safe and happy this summer:

• Summer months bring longer, hotter days, and more exposure to the sun for our kids. It's good practice to always put sunscreen on your kids before they leave the house. And check those sunscreen labels - the leftovers from last year may have expired, which means that the effectiveness of their coverage is lower. Encourage wearing hats and other protective wear as well, when possible.
• Playing outside is not only healthy for your kids, it's a rite of passage for many during the summer months. To keep your kids safe, give them guidelines about where to play (e.g. younger kids must not go past the sidewalk, older kids must look both ways before crossing streets, etc.) and encourage a buddy system so your kids and their friends stick together.
• Encourage regular check ins. If your kids are old enough to have cell phones, ask for a text or call periodically to let you know where they're at and what they're up to. Give them a time to be home, whether it's a simple as "when the sun sets" or a specific time. Make sure expectations are clear so that everyone is on the same page.
• If you're going camping or hiking, give your kids some basic information about what to watch out for, such as poison ivy (remember the old adage, "leaves of 3, let it be"), steep cliffs, and rough terrain. Wear long sleeves and pants if you're going into an area with heavy foliage and wear bug spray to avoid ticks and other critters.
• This one cannot be stressed enough: practice water safety!! It doesn't matter if the water isn't very deep, or your child knows how to swim, always keep an eye on your kids when they're in the water. Make sure that kids who don't yet know how to swim wear life jackets or other flotation devices. And it's never too early to teach your child how to turn over onto his/her back to float! That one simple trick can be a life saver!
• Make sure your kids are wearing helmets EVERY time they ride their bikes. Even if your kids gripe about this one, stay consistent and firm that no helmet=no bike. Traumatic brain injury from falls can be easily prevented!

We wish all of our families a fun, healthy, and happy summer!