Summer is an exciting time for children who can enjoy an extended break before heading into the next grade at school. However, rising mercury can also spell trouble for youngsters who like to play outdoors. Heat exhaustion, sunburns, car heatstrokes, bugs, and other risks can take away the fun of the season.
Whether your family prefers to spend time at the lake or playing in the backyard, consider these tips for summertime safety:
- Wear sunscreen. This quintessential summer tip bears repeating. Sunscreen does not only protect your child from a painful few days of redness and peeling; it is also an investment in your child’s future health. Skin cancer is no joke. Use a high SPF (at least 15-30) with broad spectrum protection, and reapply as directed. For babies, ask your pediatrician about sun safety. Babies under six months old need physical barriers to the sun, such as hats, sunglasses, and tightly woven clothing.
Wear sunscreen even if the sky is cloudy, and do not forget the places around swimsuits and clothing that may or may not face sun exposure during the day. Everyone is more likely to burn during the hottest times of the day (typically between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. during the summer).
- When playing in water or out in the yard, children sometimes forget that they need some extra hydration to ward off heat exhaustion. Water is best, but any non-caffeinated beverage is better than nothing. Look for drinks that contain ingredients you can understand and as few ingredients as possible (think real fruit juices, clear sports drinks, sparkling waters, etc.) to get the most benefit and stay healthy.
- Take water safety seriously. Water depth does not always play a role in drowning incidents. Watch your children like a hawk around water, especially if they are not comfortable with basic swimming techniques such as floating and treading water. If you plan to spend a significant amount of time in the water, invest in swimming lessons. Even young children can learn how to right themselves and stay afloat in the water. Lessons could prevent serious child injuries and even save your child’s life.
Give older children the tools they need to act responsibly around water. Provide clear guidelines for playing around water. Staying close to a swimming buddy, wearing a life jacket, and only diving in approved areas are rules that keep children and adults safe.
- Know when to cool down. Heat exhaustion can sneak up on a child and have devastating consequences. If a youngster is overheated at sports practice or while playing, encourage him or her to get into the shade, rest, and drink water. On really hot days, up the hydration level and reduce the activity level. Keep babies and small children in comfortable environments at all times.
- Take bug/snake safety seriously. Teach children about looking before they step in the woods, and do a tick check after any hikes or playing in the woods. Ticks in Arkansas can spread illnesses such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. We also have an abundance of rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouth snakes that are more active during the warm season. Use bug sprays containing permethrin to ward off ticks and sprays containing DEET for other bugs.
- Double check vehicles during summer. If you transport children or pets in your vehicle, verify the space when you get out to ensure you do not leave a child or animal in a hot car unattended. Rolling down the windows is not an acceptable compromise. Put a sticky note on your door to remind you—especially if you do not normally take children or pets with you.
- Also make sure to drive extra cautiously during summer months especially when you have your child on board. During summer months there are more cars on the roads and more drunk drivers, leading to more drunk driving collisions. The more crowded the roadways get during summer months with people traveling more results in more auto accidents. Make sure your child is properly secure as a passenger of an operated motor vehicle and make sure when your operating the car you are paying extra attention to your surroundings and practicing defensive driving at all times.
If you have a child who has suffered an injury as a result of the negligent actions of someone else, don’t hesitate to contact the Law Office of Thomas G. Buchanan. The Law Office of Thomas G. Buchanan has some of the most experienced and successful injury attorneys in Little Rock and the state of Arkansas.