Child Safety during the summer

You should always follow good safety habits for your children all year long, but summer presents some unique challenges that are not present during other times of year.

Water Illness and Injury

There are many issues involved when being around water and these are not just for kids. Swimmer’s ear affects swimmers of all ages and results in an estimated 2.4 million health care visits every year. Swimmer’s ear is an infection that is caused when water stays in the air for long periods of time and usually occurs within a few days of being in the water.

Symptoms of swimmer’s ear:

-Itchiness inside the ear.

-Redness and swelling of the ear.

-Pain when the infected ear is tugged or when pressure is placed on the ear.

-Pus draining from the infected ear

Things to do to prevent swimmer’s ear:

Keep your ears as dry as possible: use a bathing cap or ear plugs

Dry your ears thoroughly after being in the water: use a towel; turn your head sideways on each side so that each ear can drain

Don’t put objects in your ear and don’t try to remove ear wax

Playground safety:

Adult supervision is of utmost importance when there are children at a playground. The adult should keep watch for potential dangerous situations.

When visiting a playground, inspect all the equipment to ensure it is in proper working order and nothing is broken.

Teach your children how to behave safely while at a playground:

- Never push anyone on a slide, jungle gym, or other piece of equipment

- Use the equipment properly

- In hot weather, check the temperature of the equipment. If it is too hot to the touch, stay off it.

- Wear sunscreen while at the playground

- Don’t use the equipment if it is wet. It could be slippery and dangerous.

Swings:

Be careful on and around swings. Do not swing too high and don’t twist while swinging. If you’re not on a swing, don’t run and play around anyone on a swing because accidents can happen.

Slides:

When climbing the ladder, take one step at a time. Go down the slide feet first, sitting up, with only one person on the slide at a time. Wait for the person in front of you to clear the area before you go down.

Seesaws:

Only one kid on each end of the seesaw and they should be facing each other. Hold on tightly to the handle and keep your feet to the sides so they don’t get caught underneath the seesaw.

Bicycles/skateboards:

Always wear a helmet and other protective equipment. Take some kind of training so you know the proper way to use your bike or skateboard. NO HOTDOGGING while biking or skateboarding!

For more information on all aspects of child safety, visit the MedlinePlus Child Safety page.