It’s no coincidence that June is Home Safety Month. According to the Home Safety Council, most accidents happen in the summer when children are at home. There’s outdoor grilling, running about in lawn sprinklers. The Fourth of July alone presents challenges to keeping the family safe. But with a little common sense, the right tools, and rules firmly in place, summer can be fun without any added drama.
Keeping your home safe doesn’t have to be a full-time job. But, at the very least (and year round), parents should make sure there is adequate night lighting in hallways, stairs and bathrooms, that smoke alarms work properly and that chemicals and prescription drugs are safely locked away.
Summer, however, is an altogether different animal.
Kids get caught up when they are having fun, so don’t depend on them to protect their skin from sun burn. Contrary to popular notion, the sun protection factor (SPF) does not signify how strong the SPF is; it tells you how long it will keep your child protected:
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that hundreds of accidents each year happen due to grilling. Always place the gas grill or barbecue at least 10 feet from anything when in use, but first read the owner's manual before using. Also:
After any new purchase, read the directions. Setting up the Slip ‘n Slide™ might seem like a no brainer, but the manufacturer of this simple old backyard game states it was not intended to be used by adults and teens as it has the potential to result in neck injury and paralysis. There can be unintended consequences with almost anything if the user is not well informed.
Over half of fireworks-related injuries happen to children under the age of 15, according to the CPSC. Some parents mistakenly think that firecrackers, bottle rockets and roman candles only cause injury and that sparklers are safe. But sparklers are the cause of 10 percent of fireworks-related injuries overall and responsible for half of the injuries to children under the age of five. The CPSC suggests abiding by local laws, keeping a bucket of water on hand and to supervise children very closely if fireworks are to be used. Ultimately, the Commission advises against the use of all fireworks, and The American Academy of Pediatrics takes the same stance on their website stating, "Children and their families should be counseled to attend public fireworks displays rather than purchase fireworks for home use".
Kids at home during summer vacation have plenty of unsupervised free time unsupervised. This often means more time spent on the computer surfing the Internet. Consider installing Internet filtering software or putting their computer in a public area of the home.
Another way to help "child-proof" the computer is to discuss boundaries with your children and explain the importance of never giving out personal information, including your phone number and address, and the name of the child’s school.
For more information on home safety, visit the following websites:
