The Arrival of Summer!

Greetings,

Summer is now officially here which means summer break for kids and lots of free time for play. With injuries being the leading cause of death in children, I  thought to share some preventative ways to help you avoid outdoor injuries and keep your child/children safe.  A couple of things:  Burns on the playground are more common than parents might realize and are often caused by metal slides, or other playground equipment made of metal. If you think about it, metal attracts and holds heat from the sun therefore, all a slide needs is a short exposure to sunlight on any typical summer day to become a “grill” for any child’s flesh most especially considering summer wear.  Therefore, make certain to test the slide with your open hand before allowing your child to use it. If it feels too warm to your touch, it is a severe burn just waiting to happen to your child. Also, make sure you check any equipment your child will be playing on to make certain there are no obvious flaws. Take a tire swing for example, is it holding water which is a great breeding ground for mosquitos, or is there a small drainage hole in the bottom as there should be, which allows for any accumulated water to escape?  Does the climbing equipment have guard/safety rails as it should? If you are spending time at a pool, do you have U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets?  These are just a few “heads up” I wanted to share with you to help you have a safe and fun summer. I would love for you to share some of the things you will be doing with your child/children over the summer break so please chime in and share!  Happy summer of 2016 and don’t forget to breathe and  make certain your child reads!