Summer is the season for fun in the sun and a plethora of outdoor adventures, but it's also important to keep safety in mind to ensure our kiddos have a healthy and injury-free season. Here are some essential summer safety tips to protect your littles through the warmer months.
Water activities are a summer fan-favorite, but water comes with risks every parent needs to be aware of. Drowning can be a silent and deadly, and can happen in as little as 30 seconds. For safety, ensure children wear properly fitting life jackets at all times near water, regardless of their swimming ability. Designate a trusted adult to be on lifeguard duty during swimming, and never leave children unattended near any body of water–even for a minute.
Enrolling children in swim classes is an excellent way to equip them with swimming skills and water safety knowledge and reduce the risks of water accidents. Proper swim classes instill confidence and competence in the water, and can be lifesaving.
Children's skin is particularly susceptible to sunburn, so applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to all exposed skin will help protect from burns. Reapply every two hours, or more frequently if they are swimming or sweating.
Hydration is equally important; encourage kids to drink water throughout the day to prevent dehydration, which can lead to heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Signs of heat exhaustion are heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, nausea, and fainting. If these symptoms appear, move the child to a cooler place, provide water, and seek medical attention if necessary.
Throughout the summer, it's common and reasonable to open your windows to let in fresh, cool air overnight. Keep in mind, open windows pose a significant hazard, especially for small children.
Install window guards or stops to prevent falls, and ensure windows cannot be opened wide enough for a child to climb through. Supervise children playing near open windows, particularly on higher floors, and keep furniture away from windows.
When riding bikes, skateboards, or scooters, helmets are a non-negotiable for kiddos. A properly fitted helmet can prevent serious head injuries in the event of falls or accidents. Many local organizations and community events offer free helmets for children, ensuring their heads stay protected.
Additionally, ensure that ridable equipment is size-appropriate for your child. Ill-fitting bikes or scooters can be difficult to control, increasing the risk of an accident.
For an extra layer of safety awareness, consider using a Littlebird LTE wearable. Littlebird LTE provides on-demand location tracking and safety alerts, giving you peace of mind by knowing where your child is, who they're with, and how they're doing.
1. Live tracking works anywhere with cellular connectivity on our U.S. Precision+ network. Live tracking & alerts require your phone have internet and notifications enabled. 2. Choose color and style at order confirmation. 3. Littlebird is available for pre-order to our waitlist with limited availability. Littlebird Safety Plan is $25/mo. with a 12-month commitment.
