mom putting sunscreen on child's back at beach

Child Safety: 5 Ways You Can Protect Your Kids This Summer

It’s spring, and that brings rejuvenation. The flowers open and stretch toward the sun. You can also start thinking about summer. It’s not far away.

Kids love summer since they can enjoy summer vacation. They won’t get those when they grow up and start working, so they should take advantage.

If you have kids, you might hope they have fun summers where they play with their friends and have a great time. You also know that certain dangers exist in the world. You must protect your kids, so let’s discuss how you can do that right now.

Protect Your Kids This Summer

Only Buy Them Safe Products

12,000 kids die from unintentional injuries yearly, and many times, unsafe products cause those injuries. Some companies come out with products that they don’t test very well. If your child gets their hands on one, they can easily hurt themselves.

You can look into any particular product or company before you give your kids anything. If you check out a toy and think it looks unsafe, Google it and look at the reviews. See if any parents say it hurt their child.

You can also see whether there’s any recall order. If so, you’ll know you should get your child something else.

Make Them Wear Sunscreen

You might think that your kids should go out and play every day during the summer. Maybe they like going out and playing tag or ‘kick the can’ with some neighborhood children. 

Perhaps they have a treehouse in the woods. They might enjoy organized sports like soccer or baseball, or maybe they’ll play some pickup basketball in the driveway if you set up a hoop for them.

No matter what they play, you should make sure that they put on some sunblock before they head outside in the morning. You can expect hotter temperatures across the country during the summer, and if your kids play in the sun for multiple hours every day, they must protect themselves.

You can buy sunblock and make sure your kids don’t leave the house until they put some on. You can also tell them they should take some with them and reapply it during the day.

Putting some on in the morning and then staying out for many hours won’t give them the all-day protection they need.

Have Them Stay Hydrated

The sun can punish your kids in other ways as well. If they play outside daily, they might experience dehydration if they don’t drink plenty of water and sports drinks.

You can give your kids water bottles they can use when they go outside. You can also have a Brita pitcher with filtered, cold water in the fridge at all times. You might also have a filtered water system built directly into your fridge.

You can also have some Gatorade and other sports drinks handy. These drinks have electrolytes, and your kids need those if they’re outside in the sun and they’re exerting energy throughout the day.

You might buy some sports drinks at Costco or another brick-and-mortar store location where you can get them in bulk. That can save you some money.

You may get them in bulk through Amazon. They can come directly to your house that way. If you have a pantry, cellar, or basement, you can store them down there. 

Any time your kids have friends over, you can pass them out. That way, you’ll know you’re keeping your kid’s friends safe and hydrated as well.

Have Them Watch Out for Traffic

You may also live on a busy street. If so, you might have traffic that goes by all the time. Maybe you have some speed demons in the neighborhood who drive faster than they should in an area where children play all the time.

You can tell your kids they should stay out of the street. Say that they should stay in your yard instead. If they play in the front yard, then maybe you can keep an eye on them. You might also say they should play in the backyard.

If you do not have a fence around your yard yet, maybe you should get one this year. That way, you will know your kids won’t run out into the street every chance they get. You can set a rule that they must stay within the fenced-in yard.

If you get a simple chain link fence, that does not cost very much, but you can get some peace of mind that way. You’ll know that your kids will stay in a certain area, and they won’t run into the street if a car comes by driving much too fast.

Have Them Watch Out for Dogs

You should also tell your kid they should watch out for any aggressive or vicious dogs in the neighborhood. You probably know any dogs that fit this description.

Hopefully, if you have any vicious dogs around, their owners keep them in a dog run or in a fenced-in yard. They can stay there and have their own territory, and they will not run around loose.

Your kids might like teasing a fenced-in dog, though. If they ride their bikes past that spot or taunt the animal, that might enrage it. It may get loose and go after them.

Dog bite lawsuits happen all the time. You do not want an incident like that, but you might have an even more serious situation if you have younger kids and any Rottweilers or pit bulls in the area.

Dogs that size might have a bad reputation, and sometimes, it’s earned. Make sure you warn your kids they should come home and tell you if they see any loose dogs in the neighborhood and that they should never approach them or try to pet them.

If you keep your kids safe, they should have a great summer with their friends. They can enjoy their time off from school and make some happy memories.