Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Summertime Safety!

Memorial Day is a great kick off to the summer season.  It's hot.  The days are long and kids who will be out of school soon are going to need some way to burn that endless energy.  You KNOW that I'm a fan of "checklists" and that I use seasonal reminders to review the necessities.  So heading into the summer, I am reminded to check a few of these pointers off my list:

  • Bike Helmets:  
    • Check the fit - kids grow and will need to get the appropriate sized helmets regularly.
    • Has the helmet been involved in an accident?  If so, toss it out and replace it as the "internal" support has likely been damaged protecting the head of the person wearing it during the accident.  Better to replace the helmet than the head, right?
    • Ditto on replacing it if there are some dents / large marks on the exterior - regardless of whether an accident was reported or not.  

  • Swimming Pools
    • Never leave a child unattended!  And instruct babysitters to never leave the child unsupervised - whether indoor or outdoor.  Secure doors & windows.
    • Swimming lessons are a great idea but they do not "drown proof" young children.
    • Flotation devices / toys / etc. do not substitue for supervision.
    • Keep a phone outside with you to prevent needing to go inside and leave children unsupervised.
    • Keep toys away from the pool area - kids playing with them could fall into the water.
    • Install a safety fence.
    • Learn CPR.
Take just a couple of minutes to review these points before June gets away from you and rest well knowing you took some active steps to keep your kiddos safe while they are enjoying summer vacation!

No comments:

Post a Comment