Summer Safety for Kids

The following post is from contributing writer Jen @ Forever, For Always, No Matter What

Summer has arrived in the United States, generally that means more time spent outside playing and going on family excursions and vacations.

It’s a good time to take a moment and do a bit of summer safety review.  Although it’s not something we like to think about, an ounce of prevention goes a long way to keeping our kids safe.  We still want our kids to have fun and be kids, but there are steps we can take to have the best of both worlds.  Have fun summer and safe kids.

Summer Safety Tips

Swimming Lessons

Last fall, I enrolled all six of our children in swim lessons.  Most of them have had lessons in the past and the older kids are fairly proficient swimmers, but they all improved by leaps and bounds after lessons.  We had a great experience using Gold Fish Swim School.  The instructors were excellent, even with our special needs daughter.  The lessons are a bit pricey, but in this instance you get what you pay for.  High quality instruction in a great atmosphere.

Bike Helmets

This should be completely obvious.  If your kids are on a bike, a scooter, a rip stick, or a skate board – they need to be wearing a good fitting helmet.  Enough said.

I.D. Bracelet

If you ever read my personal blog, then you know I love the I.D. Bracelets that I have for my children.  These are especially important for our special needs daughter, but all {but our oldest} of our children wear them.  It gives my husband and I peace of mind when we are at busy places like an amusement park, that should our children be separated from us, our information is available immediately.  Summer is also a good time to review that your children know the family’s pertinent information.

Child Safety Class

Our kids are often busy doing summer enrichment camps for sports, the arts, even nature.  Another camp to consider is a personal safety camp.  For several years our kids have been involved in a radKIDS program in our area.   I can’t speak highly enough about this program.  It goes beyond “stranger danger” and empowers kids and gives them confidence.

First Aid Kit

It’s always a good idea to have a first aid kit in the car.  It can also be a good idea to stick a smaller first aid kit in your purse, diaper bag, or back pack.  I always feel like I should buy stock in Band-Aids when summer rolls around!  If you are crafty, this is a cute idea for a portable first aid kit.  Otherwise any little container will do filled with some antibiotic spray, some tissues, and band-aids.

Stay Hydrated

As the weather heats up, our kids don’t seem to slow down!  Be sure to remind them to drink water throughout the day.  Most kids do not need anything more than water to stay hydrated.  Water is no-calorie and isn’t filled with nasty chemicals and sugars like some of the drinks out there that are marketed to children.  Here is a quick chart, by age, to see how much kids should be drinking.

What are some other ways that you use to keep your children safe during the summertime?

Jen blogs at Forever, For Always, No Matter What.  She has one amazing husband and six eclectic kids.  Stop in for a visit as she blogs about their Catholic faith, homeschooling and adoption, all while trying to fit in exercise and healthy eating.  Jen can also be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.