Fortunately, by following basic safety rules, you can prevent many injuries and your kids can enjoy all of their favorite summertime activities.
In school, children learn the four Greek elements that make up the universe: earth, water, fi re and air. This system has been used to explain life and survival in the natural world for thousands of years. Today, you can use these components as you teach your kids about staying safe in the world around them.
EARTH
Home, school and vacation environments present many potential hazards for kids. Fun activities such as bike riding, roller blading and bouncing on the trampoline can lead to falls and serious injury, for example. Tips to help ensure the safety of your children whether at home, at play or on the go follow.
* Buckle up. Using seat belts is second nature to kids today, but it may not always
come naturally to parents. Since you are your children’s greatest role model, you should always buckle up.
You also must use child safety seats. Place infants in a rear-facing child safety seat in the back seat of your car. Never turn a child forward-facing if she is younger than one year and weighs less than 20 pounds. Rear-facing is safest and preferred, as long as seat height and weight limits are not exceeded. Once kids outgrow their rear-facing seats, they should ride in forward-facing child-safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of a fi ve-point harness safety seat. Once kids outgrow their forward-facing seats, they
Ready, Set, Grow
should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fi t prop- erly. A proper fi t is achieved when the lap belt lies across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt rests on the shoulder or col- lar bone (usually when a child is between 8 and 12 years old, approximately 4’9” tall and 80 to 100 pounds).
* Protect playtime. Playgrounds are fun, but full of potential accidents, so
you should always supervise your kids. Inspect playground equipment to ensure it’s in good working order. Strings on clothing can get caught on playground equipment, so it’s best to remove them. Kids should play on age-appropriate playground equipment. Because they are developmentally different before and after age fi ve, they need different equip- ment located in separate playground areas for the safety of all.
Safer playground surfaces include hardwood fi ber or mulch, pea gravel, sand and rubber mats. Dangerous sur- faces include concrete, asphalt, grass, blacktop, packed dirt or rocks.
* Avoid home trampolines. Home trampolines are strongly discouraged, as
they are associated with serious injuries, even with adult supervision. If your kids have an overwhelming urge to jump, you can fi nd a gym or other local facility that offers indoor trampolines.
* Ensure bike safety. Kids develop their sense of balance at various ages.
Riding a two-wheeled bike before a child is ready can lead to injuries. When your kids are ready for a bike, it must be fi tted to their present size, not the size they will grow into next summer. Everyone on every bike must wear a helmet, including
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