This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Keeping Kids Safe this Summer

Warm weather has finally arrived this year after the endless winter. And with Memorial Day coming up this weekend, it seemed like a good time to review summer safety with our West Hartford Cultural Care Au Pairs.

These tips were originally put together for my au pairs, but, really, they apply to everyone:

  1. Always wear sunblock!  Everyone over the age of 6 months should wear sunblock and/or sun protective clothing when outside. It's possible to get a severe sunburn even on cloudy days. Just one bad sunburn before the age of 18 increases your risk of skin cancer. Keep in mind, also, that  “sunblock,” and  “sunscreen” are not the same thing. Sunscreen must be applied 45 minutes before heading outside! Remember to cover noses, tops of feet and tops of ears also, and re-apply every 90 minutes of after coming out of the water! Skincancer.org has more tips for protecting yourself and your children. 
  2. Watch for mosquitos and ticks When using bug sprays, please read the label carefully. Most bug sprays for children are applied to their clothing only. Make sure clothing is laundered and skin is washed as soon as the children come inside.  Mosquitos and ticks carry disease.  
  3. Take a look at Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning which has an extremely informative article on how to tell when a person in the water is in distress (it’s not like it looks on TV). Public and private pools, even kiddie pools and buckets all pose a danger.  A child can drown in just 1 inch of water! Take a look also at this report from ABC News for more specific information on identifying a swimmer in trouble.
  4. And finally, here are a few more Summer Safety Tips from Cultural Care Au Pair including information on what to look for to ensure your child's safety on the playground!

Find out what's happening in West Hartfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?