Keep Your Kids Safe This Summer

Did you know that summer time is the most dangerous time of the year for children? According to SAFE KIDS, nearly half of all injuries and death to children happen during the summer. Every year an estimated 3 million children visit the emergency room during the summer months.

How do you keep your kids safe during the summer? Follow these simple tips and keep your children from being a statistic!

1. Wear a bike helmet. Head injuries are always bad, but they can lead to serious brain trauma and death. Wearing a bike helmet is a simple way to help protect your child's head. Make sure they fit snugly and are strapped securely on.

2. Be safe around water. Drowning is unfortunately not an uncommon news story during the summer months. Nearly 4,000 people will drown every year, and it can be prevented. Most children drown in pool accidents or when left alone in a bathtub. Never leave your child alone near water, not even for a split second- that's all it takes for an accident to happen. Watch for other household water dangers, such as buckets that might even have only a few inches of water at the bottom. If you have young children, be vigilant about the toilet as well, keep the lid down.

3. Prevent sunburn. Especially in younger children whose skin is highly sensitive. Remember to use sunscreen with a high SPF level if you're going to be spending time out in the sun. Try to stay indoors or under cover during the worst "sun" hours, between 10am and 2pm. Be careful applying sunscreen to a child who has sensitive skin, it can cause rashes.

4. Keep emergency numbers handy. Know your local poison control center's phone number. An estimated 30 children die every year due to accidental poisonings. Over 1 million phone calls are placed to a poison control center every year. Make sure you lock up poisons and household chemicals, and never assume a childproof lid is actually child proof. Watch your prescription medication as well. Another lesser thought of poison is certain plants, both inside and out.

5. Take a first aid course, and learn CPR. It doesn't hurt to know, and you know you'll have basic first aid emergency responses if someone around you runs into a problem. Additionally, keep a fully stocked first aid kit handy at all times.

You want to keep your children safe, so do your best to be vigilant this summer!