Summer has finally arrived! That means the kids are out of school and probably home more, which means we parents need to refocus on how to keep them safe so summer season can be as enjoyable as possible.
Summer means sunshine, and although I like to say I’m solar-powered and encourage my family to be outdoors as much as possible, that also means we go through large amounts of sunscreen. Because there is such a variety of products, you can seek out the best options if your child has sensitive skin or unique skin needs. Ask for recommendations and maybe try small amounts from friends to see whether a specific sunscreen will work well for your family. It’s also helpful to set up a routine and rule that sunscreen is put on before children play outside and reapplied after the recommended time frame. Most kids don’t enjoy putting on sunscreen, but the stricter you are about it, the more they will come to expect and accept the rule. Also, decide on a designated spot to store and whether you want the kids in a certain place to apply it. When my children were younger, I kept some by our door to the garage. They would sit on our steps leading to the outdoor fun while we rubbed in the sunscreen, and then we were ready to go out and play. Other ideas could be by your back door, front door, in your car, in your diaper bag, in your stroller, in your summer sports bag and in your swim bag. Having more than one spot is helpful when you’re on the go, so you can reapply or apply at the park if you were running behind for a playdate that morning. Our family has used the economy sized bottle with a pump from Equate for years, and we now keep one on our kitchen counter and another in our van. Another way to protect against the sun is with clothing. Hats, sunglasses, rash guards and more can be great ways to protect against sunburns. If kids don’t know any different, they grow up thinking sun protection is normal, and it doesn’t become a big deal. Try putting a recurring reminder in your phone to update hats, sunglasses and swimwear for Easter or to celebrate summer on the last day of school.
Along with more sun exposure comes being mindful about hydration. Encourage your children to bring a water bottle with them every time they go outside and to drink often. If you’re planning on staying out for the day, consider bringing a portable water canister so water bottles can be refilled easily or a couple water bottles per child. Let kids help pick their water bottles, so they’re more interested in bringing them and drinking from them. Don’t forget to label them!
Summer also means more swimming and being mindful of water safety. Swimming lessons are a great idea to help ease some worry around water, so check out lessons at your local community pool or recreation center. Have strict rules about not going near any water without an adult, asking an adult first or always wearing a lifejacket until you’re confident your child is a safe swimmer. Parents must be mindful of children in water. Brushing up on your own CPR skills can help put your mind at ease as well.
Other summer safety concerns include being stocked up on basic first aid items such as bandages, ice packs, antibiotic cream (our family calls this “feel better cream”) and pain medicine. Summer is the season to be outside running around, playing at playgrounds, riding bikes and scooters, climbing trees and more, but with all those activities comes more risk that someone is going to fall and skin a knee. Being prepared helps. We try to keep our medicine cabinet at home stocked, as well as one in the car, and our stroller one has since moved to our hiking backpack.
Another good rule to put in place? Always wear a helmet when riding anything with wheels. Our youngest wiped out on his bike pretty badly a couple of years ago and got a concussion. I really believe the helmet saved him from a far more severe injury. Having some extra helmets on hand for friends or requesting they bring their own helps make this a rule that everyone has to follow while at your house.
Lori Tate, mother of three, offers some other ways to keep your children safe while they play outside more this summer. “Our family updates and practices our family code word, and we practice saying Mom and Dad’s full names. As our kids get older, we have them memorize our cell phone numbers, and we use a Sharpie to write our cell phone number on our children when we are in crowded places. We also talk about which neighbors’ houses are safe to go to if they have an accident on their bikes/scooters and don’t think they can make it home, and we talk about what to do if they feel uncomfortable around someone at a park or with someone in the neighborhood.” Tate adds, “Our family code word is for if we ever have someone else pick up our kids or even get them from one side of the park to bring them back to where everyone else is. If the person doesn’t know the code word, the kids don’t go with them. If we use it, we change it. For my older kids, we also have a code word/phrase for a situation where they don’t feel comfortable and we can either come and get them if we aren’t there, or we can create space or help them practice being assertive themselves. One example is when some kids that my kids were playing tag with at the park were using a lot of curse words when not within the hearing of parents, and it made my kids uncomfortable. I was able to end the play session without my kids’ feeling like tattletales and with honoring their desire to not have the other kids know why.”
Sarah Lyons, mother of six, says, “I have safety rules that we talk about every year, such as wearing helmets on their bikes and no swimming without an adult. We also talk about bike safety and sunscreen every year. I let them have free reign (within reason) in our yard and our neighbors’ yard who we know and they play with daily. But there’s no going into anyone’s house without at least telling me, and there’s no leaving those two yards without telling me (this is my rule year-round). For my teens, there’s no swimming when adults aren’t home, and they must check in and let me know where they are going, that they made it safely and when they are headed home. These are just a quick text and is for walking, biking or driving.” Lyons adds, “I am pretty easygoing about almost everything. If I have a strict rule, I’m very strict about it. I feel this helps them understand when I’m serious. My rules are for safety and being respectful of others and yourself. I won’t budge on them.”
Parenting is a year-round job, but hopefully these suggestions help direct your parenting this summer and help you keep your children safe, so they can have a blast this season of fun and sunshine.
Stephanie Loux is the mother of Layla, 12, Mason, 10, and Slade, 7, and enjoys soaking up the sun (with sunscreen, of course!) with her kids each summer.
As always, please contact your health care provider with any questions or concerns.