Summer safety isn’t the most exciting topic of conversation. For most of us, when we think of summer we think of vacations, lemonade stands, and staying up late. But did you know June is National Safety Month? I may be alone in this, but I find safety equally as exciting to talk about as my summer plans. I’m the mom who will rear face their kiddo as long as possible, I’m terrified of trampolines, and don’t even talk to me about my little one getting on his bike without a helmet. I find it a little ironic that I’m now a boy mom of a son who will climb high, jump off of anything, and terrifies me on a daily basis. He did not inherit my innate love for rules and safety.
I come by it honestly. I was the kid who got new roller blades for Christmas along with the elbow pads, a helmet, knee pads, etc. – if they made a pad for safety, my mom bought it. Embarrassingly, as I hit the streets the first comment I received was, “What? Did your mom pad your butt too?” Even with all the protection I still managed to break my arm a few weeks later. Moral of that story … we can’t wrap our kids in bubble wrap, injuries are still going to happen but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to keep them as safe as possible.
We all know the importance of sunscreen and water safety and while my family may go a little overboard, I wanted to share my 5 essential summer safety tips I think we can all get behind.
- Create summer house rules – and enforce them! We talk a lot about baby safety/car seat safety, but not enough about how to keep our older children safe. Bike riding, playing with neighbors, and summer pranks are all reasons we love a small town feel and our family-friendly neighborhoods. Before turning your kids loose, have honest conversations about your summer safety expectations and the consequences if these expectations are broken. Examples include a communication plan, helmet rules (should ALWAYS wear a helmet if on wheels of any kind, this is a non-negotiable), limits of where they are/aren’t allowed to go, and avoiding water of any kid without an adult (pools, rivers, lakes, etc).
2. Do NOT cover your baby’s stroller with a stroller cover, blanket, or anything else. This creates a greenhouse effect and will actually increase the temperature in your little one’s stroller quicker, and you don’t have them in your direct line of sight. Both are pretty dangerous in our sweltering Texas heat.
3. Never leave your child in the car! This is one of the biggest ones because we all know Texas summers are HOT. It should go without saying, but still on average 38 children die every year from car seat heat related deaths, and it can happen to any exhausted parent. It only takes 2 minutes for a turned off car to get to dangerous internal heat levels. Children have a harder time regulating their body temperature and, therefore, can suffer from heat exhaustion after even just short periods of time.
When the car is running, sit in the back and do a double check that all air vents are on and working. Make sure your older children know not to mess with opening/closing air vents.
You should never leave a child in the car alone regardless if the car is running or not. Keep your cars locked at all times and keys out of reach to avoid an adventurous child finding the car and accidentally locking themselves in. No errand is short enough to risk leaving a child in the car, running or not.
Create a system to make sure you haven’t accidentally left a sleeping baby in the car because everyone thinks it won’t happen to them. For me, I leave something important (phone, wallet, etc.) in the seat pocket that my child sits in. Another common tactic is putting a visual reminder with you in the front seat, such as a lovey or shoe from your child. Be especially careful about this if your daily routine has changed (added an errand before daycare drop off, running errands you normally would do kid-free but due to summer break you have kids with you, etc).
4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Even if you hear the tune, “But I am not thirsty!”, regular water consumption needs to be a requirement for letting your littles enjoy outdoor activities. The rule needs to be: water first or we skip the fun.
5. Brush up on the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion. These include dizziness, fatigue, confusion, nausea, muscle cramping, or heart palpitations. If you notice any of these signs/symptoms in yourself or a child, head inside for a break and some water immediately. Always be sure to monitor your child or head to a local doctor or the ER for those moments of uncertainty!
Do you have any additional summer safety tips? Make sure to leave a comment below to share them with us! We hope you have fun this summer! And don’t forget to tag @wacomoms in all your (safe) summer adventures!