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Summer Safety Reminders
By Brenda Nixon
Summertime: the inviting warmth of the sun, fresh air, the aroma
of barbeques, fresh-cut grass and chaotic sounds of neighborhood
children at play. But dangerous possibilities lurk outside. Parents
must never presume their youngster recognizes — or stops
to think about — what is safe and unsafe.
Curious toddlers put everything in their mouth, move at the speed
of light and are innocent about hazards. Older children race,
jump and jostle with no thought of consequences. Child development
experts tell us that children can not grasp the permanence of
death until the age of 11.
To ensure your family has fun in the sun with minimal injury,
be responsible, vigilant and safety-conscious. Here are some tips
that might save tears, emergency room bills ... or lives.
Prevent ouches. Summer sun can heat your car's interior to 140
degrees. That's enough to blister young skin. Feel seats and buckles
before loading kids in the car. Many parents store beach towels
in their car to make a layer between their child's legs and a
sizzling seat.
Habitually hydrate. Always have cool water with you, and offer
it to your children about every half hour. Avoid beverages with
sugar and caffeine; they don't quench thirst and are filled with
unnecessary calories.
Be sun smart. The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and
3 p.m. Practice safe sun fun. Use a SPF 15 sunscreen, even on
cloudy days. If you're outdoors with a newborn (0 to 6 weeks)
do not use sunscreen on her delicate skin. Instead, protect her
from the sun with a bonnet, sunglasses and lightweight cotton
clothing. An umbrella can also help by creating shade. I've been
to many softball games where resourceful parents positioned their
newborn under a shady tree to prevent strong exposure while they
enjoyed the sport.
Think outside the box. Check in and around sandboxes for sticks,
glass or droppings from friendly creatures. Children may find
your yard, driveway, garage and park an inviting place to play.
Scour and clean up anyplace your kids play for hidden dangers.
Deter drowning. Always be on guard when your child is around contained
water sources: buckets of water, toilets, pools and ponds. Toddlers
are top-heavy, so they easily fall headfirst into pools, fountains
and buckets. If they can't maneuver their head out to breath,
even an inch of water will be deadly. It only takes five minutes
for a child to drown.
Avoid playground problems. Remove strings from hoods and around
the waist of your kids' clothes to prevent catching on equipment
and possible strangulation. Look for rusted nuts, bolts, screws
and cracks or rotted wood on playground equipment. Guard against
the open S-style hooks that can scratch skin or snag clothes.
Each year nearly 200,000 children go to the emergency room for
playground equipment-related injuries. Keep antibiotic cream available
for minor skin abrasions.
Forego fireworks. Most children eventually beg, "Can we have
sparklers?" And many adults buy them thinking, "There's
no harm." However, these thin sticks of highlighted sparks
burn at 1,800 degrees, melt nylon clothing (I know this from experience),
can cause severe skin wounds and start fires. Pyrotechnics, including
sparklers, injure over 5,000 young children every year. Enjoy
professionally run fireworks and say "no" to shooting
them off at home, where most accidents happen.
Diminish dog bites. Dogs are kid-magnets. When we walk in the
park with our miniature dachshund, children bravely run up to
pet him. Usually I halt each child with, "Ask if you can
pet him." Every year children suffer bites from dogs that
"look cute." Teach your tot to ask permission to touch
someone's dog. Be watchful around animals and never assume they
"won't hurt a flea."
Youngsters are more occupied with adventure than safety. Their
endless energy and naiveté means parents must practice
safety first. Then everyone has fun, happy memories in the great
outdoors.
© Brenda Nixon,
from Parenting
Power in The Early Years
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Parenting Power in the Early Years is
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