Safety Tips for Hot Summer Days

Ah, summertime. Kids and the summer break just seem to go hand in hand. Vacations from school, beaches, long days of freedom, and the ice cream man are all part of Americana. Still, kids are not immune from danger and the heat of summer can create situations where children are exposed to precarious conditions. In order to keep kids out of harm and danger, parents should keep a few things in mind during the hot days of summer. Memories should be built around fun events, not trips to the emergency room.

Keep things fluid

Parents need to keep the kids drinking all throughout the day. Teach the kids to learn the love of water and build in habits of drinking every time they come in the house. As they run around in hot weather they can dehydrate very quickly. In order to be more environmentally-friendly, invest in some durable reusable water bottles and check to make sure that they have consumed at least a couple per day. Also, resist the temptation to hydrate with sugary beverages, as we all know that kids don't need more sugar. Even some of the vitamin waters have high sugar content, so be sure to read the labels.

Sunblock party

This may seem obvious, but remember to put the sunscreen on before they go outside in the morning. Don't wait until the day gets hot. Once they have been out in the sun for a while, the sunscreen doesn't work as well. Also, make sure you replenish your bottles and tubes of sunscreen each summer. Some experts suggest that sunscreen loses its potency after a very short period of time. Therefore, that old copper bottle from three or four summers ago may not be good anymore.

Restrict outdoor activities at peak hours

On extremely hot days, you may want to limit the time outdoors. Experts tell us that time in the sun should be limited in order to avoid long-term skin damage. Granted, you don't want them sitting inside watching movies or playing video games for hours on end, but you also don't want them baking outside in the hottest part of the day. Play some board games, do puzzles, or work on projects together around the house.

The summer is a great time for kids as they are free to play and enjoy a break from school. However, the hot summer days should be respected as kids can fall into dangerous situations if not monitored correctly. Kids do not have the same instinctive boundaries as adults, so they need to be monitored. Take a few of the above-mentioned precautions and have a nice summer.