Safety First: 5 Essential Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe This Summer

No one wants to find themselves with the title of “helicopter parent,” someone who hovers over their kid’s head, overseeing every moment of their life. However, there’s a fine line between being controlling and ensuring your child is safe.

[ photo: Stevepb/Pixabay ]

In summer, there are even more dangers than usual. Stepping out of the structured school routine and indulge in all that free time may be fun, but it brings with it a unique set of holiday-related risks. Before summer break rolls around, learn what it takes to keep your children safe.

Teach Water Safety

The increase in temperature brings about the necessity to cool down in the water and have fun at the same time. However, before you let your children head off to the swimming pool with their friends, enroll them in kids swimming lessons. During these lessons, they can learn how to swim, float, and get themselves out of potential danger.

Almost 150 children drowned in the 2017-18 period in the USA. Even though kids love to have fun in swimming pools, spas, rivers and lakes, they need to know how to do it safely.

Monitor Technology Use

Children of today grow up with technology at their fingertips. They get mobile phones when they’re young, and tablets and PCs are a standard part of almost every household. However, not everything on the internet is for their eyes. You might think they’re streaming an innocent cartoon, but what else is popping up on their screen? Keep your child safe on the net by monitoring their technology use. Invest in a parental control system that lets you keep them safe.

Know Where They Are

Your child might be an angel when they’re at home with you, but do you know where they go and what they do when they’re with their friends? Before your kids go off with their buddies to the mall, find out what they are doing, where they are going, and when they will be home. You can’t keep them under lock and key, but you can at least a sense of responsibility in them.

Such is the problem with youth crime, that a public service announcement ran during the 1960s to the 1980s, asking: “Do you know where your children are?”

Stay Sun Safe

One of the best parts about summer break is the beautiful sunshine. You can sunbathe at the beach, splash about in the waves, and relax with a refreshing beverage in the warmth. With all the fun and excitement of summer, it’s easy to forget that the sun can be dangerous. Keep your children safe by ensuring that any time they’re outside, they cover up, wear sunscreen, and drink plenty of water.

Create Safety Plans

During school break, it’s not uncommon for your older kids to be off with their friends, playing video games and participating in sports. However, a disaster can strike at any moment, so do you have a plan in place? Do you know how to find your kids if modern communication methods go down? Always remind your children of a plan B, such as a meeting spot at the local sports field, or the front of your place of employment.

Having plans set for the summer holidays is not helicopter parenting, it’s ensuring your children are safe at all times. Always know where your kids are, what they’re doing, and monitor their online activities. You can then send them back to school for the new semester happy and well.