4 Easy Steps To Make Summer Fun And Safe

Summer is just around the corner. It is an ideal time to explore outdoors and enjoy various fun activities with family and friends. But as the temperature and humidity go up, so does the risk of summer mishaps too, summer mishaps are quite common. According to CPSC (consumer product safety commission) injuries to children ages 14 and under are most likely to happen in the summer months. Playground activities, biking and swimming are the summer activities most responsible for injuries to children. Before you round up your family and head for the outdoor, read up on ways to make your days in the sun safe as well as fun.

1. Heat safety

Children face a greater risk of dehydration and heat-related illness. Normally, our bodies get cooled through sweating and by radiating through the skin. But in hot weather, high humidity and high temperature did not work efficiently, letting heat in the body and can bring the risk of heat related illness. According to NSW, hot weather can affect your baby or child, because their bodies cannot adjust to changes in temperature like adults¹. They sweat less and generate more heat during exercise than adults. They are at risk of overheating and developing heat related illness. According to the CDC², infants and children up to 4 years of age are at greatest risk for heat related illness. And the prevention is the best defence against the heat related illness.

Here are few easy tips that can provide sun safety:

• Avoid being in the sun between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Dress appropriately kids in protective clothing and hats, clothing that covers your child’s skin help protect against UV rays.
• According to the Skin Cancer Foundation³, childhood sun exposure increases skin cancer risk later in life. “Children are more sensitive to sun and sun’s rays are strongest during summer months, when children tend to spend ample time outdoors”, says Perry Robins MD (president of skin cancer foundation), so it is must to practice sunscreen application beforehand. Teach children to apply 1 ounce of sunscreen to all exposed areas 30 minutes before outdoor activities.
• It is also mandatory to remind kids to seek the shade areas in order to limit UV exposure.

CDC offers some more great tips to stay safe during sun, such as:

• Stay cool with cool showers or bath.
• Never leave infants, Children or pets in a parked car and dress them in loose, light weight and light coloured clothing.
• Seek medical care immediately, if your child has heat-related illness, such as heavy sweating, nausea, vomiting, fainting etc.⁴

2. Water Safety

During summer some of the best fun comes from water activities, but on another side these ample water activities increases the risk of death due to drowning. According to CDC, out of every 5 drowning victims, one will be under the age of 1 to 4. Also, it is the third leading cause of all deaths for children age 1 to 4. Water safety is very important.

Here are few important tips to ensure water safety for kids:

• Stay alert and always supervise your children all time around swimming pool, bath tub and natural water bodies. While supervising avoid distracting activities such as reading a book or talking on phone.
• Get swimming lessons. According to American Academy of Paediatrics children can safely take swim lessons as early as age 1 at the parents discretion⁵.
• CDC recommends it is best to learn CPR and get re-certified every 2 year. It is also advisable to use buddy system while swimming and look for swimming sites that have life guards.⁶

3. Additional tips for water safety

• Being proactive with your pool or spa and must take proper safety precautions to ensure your children are safe.
• Be prepared for pool emergencies.
• Avoid using air filled or foam toys as safety device.
• Use proper safety precautions such as wearing a life jacket before swimming and know the local weather condition and forecast.

4. Bug safety

Along with water and sun safety, keep mosquitoes and ticks from bugging you and your kids is equally important. Mosquitoes, biting files and tick can make children miserable and can cause Zika, West mile virus and Lyme diseases (which are usually transmitted by insects).

Children’s National Health System offers few ways to minimize the risk of bug bite:

• Avoid outdoor activities during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
• Avoid playing in or round puddles of water or flowerbed.
• Wear appropriate clothes to minimize skin exposure.
• Use of insect repellent is also advisable.⁷

According to American Academy of Pediatrics insect repellents that contain active ingredients DEET(diethyltoluamide) is good for use. If you plan to be outside for only a few hours, a lower concentration of DEET is recommended, but if you plan on being outside for a full day, a higher concentration is recommended (but no more than 30 percent).⁸

So these are some easiest way that will help you to have a safe summer. It will also help you keep your child safe during summer?