subject: 5 Quick & Easy Safety Tips to Protect Your Children this Summer [print this page] 5 Quick & Easy Safety Tips to Protect Your Children this Summer
Summertime brings us good times, withthe sunshine, the warm weather and lots of fun participating in family activities outside. This article will highlight some quick and easy tips that come along with all of the summertime fun.The risks of injury also increase for children. Most injuries are preventable andwith careful pre-planning and communication to your family, especially your children, everyone can remain safe while having a blast this summer!
What are the risks?
Summer can bring on a variety of higher risks for injury for children. This is because your family is spending more time outdoors and exposure to potential injury can grow. This article highlights some general safety tips for parents to be aware of:
Sunburn: being outside in the sunshine puts your family at risk for getting sunburned. Even during overcast and cloudy days, children can get burned. Parents can think the risk of sunburn is lower, be sure to apply sunscreen even on these days. You need toapply at a minimum a sunscreen that contains at least a spf 15 and apply this at least 30 minutes before your children go outside. Then re-apply every 2-3 hours. Replace your stock of sun block yearly! Be sure to shake the bottle before each application, to effectively mix the sunscreen up. Lastly, the younger the child, the more fragile the skin, so up your spf!
Bugs: being outside can increase the risk of stings and bites. When you can, cover your children with lightweight clothing with sleeves and legs as thetemperature permits. Always make sure shoes are worn outside- a child can easily step on a stinging bug without seeing it.Be hesitant when applying bug spray - some children can be sensitive to this and develop a reaction. Search your yard andkeep your yard free of water accumulation, as this is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Light-colored clothing can deter bites more than other colors
Strangers: attending activities where crowds are present can put your children at higher risk of easily getting away from you! If your child is old enough to understand the concept of strangers - talk to them about this! Instruct them to yell, "You're a stranger, I do not know you!" and to continue yelling this to bring attention to them in an abduction attempt. Tell them that grabbing onto both legs and sitting on their feet, can make it difficult for a stranger to move or carry them and draw attention. The goal is to prevent a stranger from moving your child to a different location. Always watch your children in crowds and if you have a pre-teen or teen, stay involved in their life. Know who they are talking to and hanging out with!
Bike Accidents: my previous experience as an Emergency Room RN has shown that parents who require their children to wear a helmet, save lives! You can prevent a severe head injury by always requiring your child to wear a helmet and talking about it to them, so they understand the reasons. Be sure that the helmet is snug fitting and you upgrade to a larger size as your child grows. Also, replace helmets when they have been involved in an accident or have been damaged! They are not as effective.
Road Safety: children are very impulsive and alot of children get hit by cars by running out onto the road chasing or to retrieve something. Talk to your child about car safety and the hazards of running into the road. I have seen children in the Emergency Room after getting hit by a car because they ran to chase papers that flew out of their hands during a windy day! Tell them it is okay if a ball or object they have goes out into the road, to come tell an adult who can watch or go with them to get it. Tell them how you can replace objects but not them! Also, discuss road safety with older children and about how to safely walk down the road and always to assume if a car is coming that it will not slow down or it may swerve over and to back up safely to give enough room. Older adults or vision impairments can cause someone to easily mid-judge distance!
If you follow these 5 quick and easy suggestions, you can ensure you and your family have a safer summer! If you have a safety question, be sure to visit us on our website and post it at www.askanursenow.info All questions are answered for free and by experienced registered nurses who care!
AskaNurseNow wishes you and your family a memorable 2010 summer!
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