School's out. Here's how to keep your kids safe this summer and prevent accidents

Yahoo

18 hours ago

Summer is a time for celebration and fun for many.
Children are off from school, families enjoy cookouts and vacations, and there is plenty of fun at beaches, lakes and area pools.
But it's also a time when children can be at greater risk due to more time in the sun, greater access to pools and lakes, increased outdoor playtime and more. Some are also home alone more.
Summer heat and outdoor play can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke, especially for children since their bodies can't cool down as quickly as adults, according to specialists from John's Hopkins All Children's Hospital and Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
'Make sure children always have a filled water bottle with them,' says Brandon Smith, associate medical director of the Harriet Lane Clinic at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, on their website. 'Allow your child to choose a fun water bottle and/or straw, and stick to water — not soda or juice.'
The New Jersey Department of Children and Families has a list of summer safety tips:
Drowning is one of the leading causes of child deaths annually. According to the American Red Cross, a staggering 4,000 children drown every year on average. That's 11 deaths per day.
Here's how you can keep your child safe.
Never leave children swimming unattended. Drowning can occur in an inch or two of water.
Stay within an arm's length of small children in water to protect against rapid drowning.
Warn children to never swim at a pool or beach alone or without a lifeguard.
Train children to swim at an early age.
Teach children that swimming in a pool is far different than swimming in open water.
Be certain only qualified and undistracted adults are entrusted with supervising children in water.
Empty inflatable pools, buckets, pails and bathtubs after each use.
Personal floatation devices do not guarantee water safety.
The temperature inside a car can get dangerously hot, even in moderate weather with the windows slightly down. These car safety tips can help prevent tragic accidents.
Always lock your car and secure the keys so that your kids can't get to them.
Warn your children about playing in and around cars.
Install a trunk release mechanism so that children can't get trapped in the trunk.
Get your kids out of the car first, and then unload items out of the car.
Have kids wear a properly fitted helmet when riding a bike, skateboard, scooter or rollerblading.
Keep a shock-absorbing surface under and around home playground equipment and always supervise kids on play equipment.
Use caution with outdoor grills, especially when children are present.
Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of windows. Install in any room where young children spend time. Never depend on screens to keep children from falling out of windows.
Limit sun exposure for kids and infants. Apply sunscreen, even on cloudy days, and reapply every two hours, or after swimming.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Kids are out of school for the summer. Here are ways to keep them safe