How You Can Keep Your Child Safe In The Summer
It is coming up to the time of year where our thoughts turn to holidays, summer programs, outdoor activities, and a slew of other enjoyable things.
However, while a whole lot of fun, some of those enjoyable summer activities may pose a threat to one’s health and safety.
Listed below are six things you can do to ensure that everyone’s summer memories are great ones and keep everyone safe.
- Use sunscreen
Although it appears to be self-explanatory, we frequently overlook it. We recall when we go to the beach or the pool, but we do not always remember when we go sightseeing, gardening, attending an outdoor event, or simply playing outside.
If your child is going to be outside in the sun, make sure they are protected with sunscreen. Utilize a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 that is both water resistant and blocks both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B radiation.
Apply sunscreen liberally to all exposed skin, and remember to reapply every two hours, or sooner if your child has been in the water. As well as protecting your child from the discomfort of sunburn, it may also help to prevent skin cancer in the long run.
Don’t forget to put it on yourself as well—parents often slather their child in it and then leave themselves open to sunburn.
- Supervise your children near water
Make sure that your youngster is always supervised when near water or other bodies of water.
Never rely on flotation or safety gear like as lifejackets to keep you safe; while they can be useful and should be used wherever possible (for example, when kayaking or on other boats), there is nothing that can completely replace continual supervision in these situations.
It is possible to drown in complete silence; if you wait for your child to scream for help, you may miss it. The summer months might be an excellent time to work on your child’s swimming abilities.
Despite the fact that even the most skilled swimmers can drown, all children should learn to swim; look for swim classes near you if they can’t swim or you do not have the time or skills to teach them.
And remember that if you are lucky enough to have a pool or are on vacation and have one, it should be walled on all sides, away from the home, and equipped with a self-latching or self-locking gate to keep children and pets out.
- Use insect repellant
Ticks, in particular, are predicted to be particularly problematic this year, and while mosquito bites are typically associated with irritation, they can also be associated with infections such as West Nile or Zika. These are not common in the UK, but if you go abroad it is important to be mindful of them.
So, in addition to instilling the practice of applying sunscreen to your child’s skin, instill the behavior of applying bug repellent whenever your child is outside. DEET is the chemical that provides the most effective protection against both mosquitoes and ticks (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide).
Using a larger proportion of DEET will provide longer protection; nevertheless, do not use more than 30% on youngsters and avoid reapplying after that. While skin irritation is the most prevalent adverse effect of DEET, there is a very minor chance of brain consequences such as seizures if the insect repellent is used excessively.
In addition, oil of lemon eucalyptus can be effective and has less side effects, making it an excellent alternative if the risk of bites is a little lower.
- Make sure your child is wearing a helmet
Make sure that your child is wearing a helmet when it is recommended. Helmets help keep your child’s head and brain safe while they are biking, riding a scooter, or participating in sports such as baseball or football, among other activities.
If you are looking for advice on how to choose the proper and best helmet for different sports, the Consumer Product Safety Commission provides some excellent resources.
- Keep garden tools and equipment safe, and encourage safe use
Make use of your lawn mower in a safe manner. Every year, thousands of youngsters are injured as a result of lawn mowers, with some of these injuries being life-threatening.
It is important to remember that a child should be at least 12 years old before using a push mower and at least 16 years old before using a riding mower, and that wearing strong shoes and wearing eye protection is mandatory for everyone who operates the mower.
Preventing items from becoming projectiles begins with inspecting the grass before mowing. When selecting a push mower, seek for one that stops moving forward as soon as the handle is removed.
If you have young children, it is better if they are occupying themselves indoors while you mow. Make sure all other garden equipment—rakes, brooms, shovels and hoses being just a few of them—are safely out of reach.
- Have a plan in case your child becomes separated from you
You can easily become separated when you are outside, especially when you are in the woods or in a crowded public venue. While mobile phones are convenient, not all youngsters have access to them, and reception cannot be relied upon, and the battery does not last indefinitely.
Talk about what to do if you become separated before you leave home or travel somewhere else.
Establish a visible and easy to find meeting location, identify the “helping people,” such as staff or police officers, who are safe to approach, and go over the many scenarios that could occur. It takes less than a minute and can make a significant difference in your life.