Keeping kids safe this summer

Along with proper skin care in the sun and keeping hydrated, there are plenty more summer safety tips to keep your kids safe this season. Supervision is the key to avoiding major injuries during the active summer months, along with letting your children know the difference between acceptable activities and dangerous ones. You want to all have fun while they are out of school, so here are a few suggestions on how to keep them protected.

• Playground safety: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that each year, more than 200,000 children younger than 14 are treated in emergency rooms for playground-related injuries. Falls are a common cause of these injuries. As a rule of thumb, make sure any playground equipment your child is using is safe and well maintained to avoid breakage and fall risks. Look for sharp edges, tripping hazards or other signs that it is in poor condition as well. Also, to prevent burns, test hot surfaces on slides or swings on sweltering summer days before they begin to play. 
• Bike safety: No matter how much experience your children have or the surface they are riding on, they should always wear a helmet. Before they even get on the bike, follow the helmet fit test to make sure it fits in three ways. It needs to pass the eyes, ears and mouth checks to ensure proper visibility and protection. For their eyes, when they look up they should be able to see the bottom of the helmet. With the ear check, the straps should form a V under their ears and be tight but not overly so when buckled. Finally, when they open up their mouth wide, they should be able to feel the helmet get tighter. If not, tighten the straps again. Also, communicate with them so they know not to venture near busy streets or out of your line of sight.

At ProSolutions Training, we provide online CDA courses for early childhood education professionals looking to become certified with the Child Development Associative Credential. Contact us to learn more today!