Keeping your Kids Safe at Home this SummerMay 7, 2021
Summer is a time to enjoy the outdoors to the fullest, regardless of whether it’s at the pool, the beach or in your own back yard. As this season fast approaches, it’s essential that you and your children take the necessary precautions to stay safe. These tips will help ensure that you and your family remain safe while still having as much fun as possible.
1. Preventing Sunburn
During summer, it’s normal for your kids to spend a lot more time outdoors than usual – after all, who can resist such terrific weather? However, increased sun exposure can often result in serious sunburn occurring if the right precautions aren’t taken ahead of time.
Although applying sunscreen 15 to 20 minutes before heading outside will help protect your child’s skin against the damage caused by UV rays, additional measures such as having your child wear a wide-brimmed hat and lightweight, long-sleeved garments will also be beneficial. It’s recommended that sunscreen be reapplied every 2 hours to enjoy maximum protection.
2. Know how to Use the Alarm System
Although no one wants to think about burglaries or other unpleasant situations that may occur, the truth is that incidents like these take place without warning. As such, it’s crucial that your children know how to activate your home alarm system in case of emergency.
When teaching your children how to operate your home alarm, it’s recommended that you inform your security company ahead of time. This will prevent them from reacting to an unnecessary call.
3. Staying Safe around the Fire or BBQ
When having a BBQ, ensure that it’s positioned out of the way of foot traffic and areas where your children will be playing. Children should be taught to stay at least three feet away from the fire pit or BBQ to prevent burns occurring. Older children who may want to help with the grilling should be closely supervised as well.
4. Hydration is Important
Heatstroke and heat exhaustion can occur quickly if your child is not consuming enough water on a hot summer’s day or engaging in a lot of physical activity outdoors, especially when temperatures reach 90 degrees or above.
Dressing children in lightweight and light-colored clothing will help reflect the sun’s rays away from their bodies, and they should be encouraged to drink cool water at every opportunity. If your child appears to be hot and flustered, have them hop into the pool or take a cool bath or shower.
Keep in mind though that children should never be allowed to swim alone, regardless of how old they may be or how well they can swim – accidents can occur at any time and without warning. Learning CPR can also be an especially valuable skill as well.
Ensuring that your children know what to do in case of emergency and putting the above mentioned preventative measures in place will help ensure that you and your family will be able to enjoy your summer to the fullest.