Tag Archives: water

10 Tips for Summer Safety

  1. Remember to bring along drinks, especially water. Try to get children to drink water every 20 minutes, when they are outside in hot weather.
  2. Pay attention to surfaces that can be hot against children’s skin, such as metal slides and other playground equipment in the sun.
  3. Safety around water is particularly important. A child can drown in just a few inches of water. Whenever you are near water you must never leave a child alone – if the phone rings, take them with you or let it ring! Always stay within arm’s reach when the children are in or near water.
  4. Young babies should be kept out of direct sunlight. Keep the baby in the shade or under a tree, umbrella or stroller canopy.
  5. Dress babies in lightweight clothing and use brimmed hats.
  6. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside, even if it appears overcast (cloudy).
  7. Try to keep children out of the sun in the middle of the day when the sun is strongest.
  8. Learn what poison ivy looks like and keep children out of it. A good rule to teach the children is “leaves of three, let it be.”
  9. Use insect repellent spray to keep away mosquitos and ticks. Ask your host parents before applying.
  10. Check for ticks when you bring children in from playing outside, especially if you’ve been in tall grass or the woods.

Photo: Scott97006 (Flickr)

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SUMMER SAFETY TIPS

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During the summer months we need to take some added precautions to keep children safe in the sun and by the water.  Here are some good tips:

  • Avoid long periods of sun exposure especially between 10.00am and 4.00pm
  • Apply sunscreen of at least  15 SPF that protects against both UVA and UVB rays on both sunny and cloudy days.
  • Infants should be dressed in lightweight clothing covering as much skin as possible and brimmed hats to shade the face.
  • Stay hydrated, drink water throughout the day.
  • Intense activities and sports should be reduced whenever high heat and humidity reach critical levels.
  • Never leave children or animals in a car unattended.

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  • Actively supervise children in and around the water, giving them your undivided attention. Appoint a designated “water watcher,” taking turns with other adults. Be very clear who is in charge.
  • When in the water there should be an adult at arms length from young children at all times.
  • Children who cannot swim or who are not strong swimmers should wear water wings or life jackets when in the water.
  • Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
  • Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone. Even at a public pool or a lifeguarded beach, use the buddy system!
  • If you go boating, wear a life jacket! Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.
  • Avoid alcohol use. Alcohol impairs judgment, balance and coordination; affects swimming and diving skills; and reduces the body’s ability to stay warm.

Insects

Summertime brings an onslaught of bugs- some of which can cause diseases like West Nile Virus, Lyme Disease and Rocky Mount Spotted Fever. Stay up-to-date on your region and how to prevent these diseases spread by insects.

Prepare a summer first-aid kit for bug bites and more

  • Be prepared for allergic reactions from bug bites. Benadryl is probably the most important over-the-counter medication to have in your first aid kit to treat insect bites, hives, and other allergic reactions.
  • Hydorcortisone ointment can help the itches that come from bites.
  • Use bug spray containing DEET or picaridin.

 As well as the host parents numbers, au pairs should have the phone number of the community counselor and the Au Pair in America 800 number saved to their phones.  This way if they need assistance they can quickly and easily dial the number.  Remind your au pairs to call immediately if there is any issue with a child in their care.  Host families should make sure that au pairs know what to do if there is an emergency situation while they are in charge of the children.  This is a good time of year to review any family rules that apply to summer activities especially by the pool and while at the beach.

Enjoy the summer and be safe!