Keeping Summer Safe and Fun: Summer Safety Tips!

by Jun 28, 2016

About the Author

Dr. Jeanne Sandheinrich, D.C.

Dr. Jeanne Sandheinrich, D.C. is co-founder and an esteemed chiropractor at First Step Family Wellness. As a St. Louis native, she has a deep connection to her community and is passionate about providing exceptional care to her clients.

Beautiful sunrises, bright warm days, and boat loads of outdoor fun. Summer has so many things to be thankful for! The beginning to Summer is also an important time to remember some Summer safety tips.

Long Summer days are much more enjoyable when your family stays safe and healthy! Let’s take a look at how to stay safe and healthy this Summer.

Keep your cool

When temperatures rise we tend to want to spend as much time outdoors as possible. High heat indexes can become treacherous though. Particularly, if you live in a warm, humid climate, like St. Louis.

-Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink! If you feel thirsty you have started to become dehydrated.

-Be sure children hydrate prior to outdoor activities, and continue to rehydrate every 20 minutes. Don’t wait for them to ask for a drink.

-NEVER leave children or pets in closed, parked vehicles. It only takes a minute or two for temperatures inside vehicles to elevate to dangerous levels.

-When temps hit the high 90’s be sure to only be out for short amounts of time, before going into an air conditioned space to cool off. If your home isn’t air conditioned go to a public place that is air conditioned for a few hours. Even fans can’t prevent heat related illnesses.

-On high high heat days, try to schedule outdoor activities to morning and evening hours.

Sun safety

It’s super easy when you’re having fun in the sun to forget about protecting yourself from harmful rays. It only takes a small amount time to cause damage to your skin and eyes. This is important to remember, because approximately 3.3 million Americans are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer each year! So protect yourself!

-Be sure to apply sunscreen 30 minutes prior to exposure to the sun.

-Wear an SPF of at least 15

-Wear sunglasses

-Reapply sunscreen frequently! Every two hours is a good rule of thumb, but reapply more frequently if swimming, or sweating a lot.

-Remember that you can get a sunburn even if it’s cloudy outside.

Tick bites

Hikes and exploring are another fun filled way to spend your day! However, there are pesky critters, such as ticks, that you need to watch out for. Ticks are responsible for an array of diseases; the most commonly known being Lyme disease. Here are some things to do to avoid those pesky ticks.

-Wear protective clothing (i.e., long sleeves and pants when in wooded areas).

-When on hikes and walks stay on paths, and avoid going off the path into overgrown areas.

-Check for ticks on kiddos, and other family members daily.

Water safety

One of the best parts of Summer are days at the pool, and weekends at the lake! Taking proper precautions will make it so that everyone can keep enjoying their weekend; without any unforeseen emergencies!

-Practice “touch supervision” (being within an arm’s length) with children who aren’t strong swimmers.

-Remember that given different circumstances, drowning can occur with adults and children alike.

-Get children into professional swimming lessons at a young age! Studies prove that children as young as one year of age are less likely to drown if they have taken swim lessons. Studies do not show evidence that it reduces drowning in infants under one. However, remember that nobody is drown-proof!

-Use life vests opposed to “swimmies”.Water wings provide a false sense of security, and can fall off children, leaving them susceptible to drowning.

Boat safety

Boating can be an awesome family activity in the Summer! Here are some things to consider prior to leaving the boat dock.

-Teach children the difference between swimming in a pool, and swimming in open water. Open water can have uneven surfaces, depth can vary greatly (making diving unsafe), and children need to be aware of possible currents, and undertows.

-Always have children wear a life jacket approved by the US Coast Guard when boating or participating in watersports.

-Check life jackets for proper fit. You can have children raise their arms straight up, into a touchdown position. If it hits their chin or ears, the jacket is either too big, or the straps need to be tightened.

-The US Coast Guard does not recommend to bring babies on boats. This includes kayaks, sailboats, motorboats, and canoes; until he weighs enough to properly fit into a life jacket. Car seats are a bad option for babies, in replacement of life jackets. Car seats are heavy, and will sink instantly if there is an accident.

Fireworks

Whether it’s a weekend at the lake, or the 4th of July, fireworks are an awesome way to end a hot Summer day. Fireworks can go from fun to disaster quickly though. Here a few things to remember.

-Attend firework displays that are being done professionally. It is not recommended to set off large fireworks on your own.

-Supervise children at all times. Even sparklers, which most people consider harmless, can reach up to 1,000 degrees fahrenheit!

-Fireworks can cause severe burns, blindness, and sometimes death.

First Aid Kits

Be sure to have a first aid kit handy, both at home, and in your car. Hopefully, you don’t have to use it, but better to be prepared! Cuts and scrapes are inevitable with little ones running around in the Summer.

The most important thing to remember

The most important thing to remember this Summer is to spend lots of quality time with your family! Enjoy the outdoors. Go swimming, go boating, take hikes, play outside; whatever it is you like to do, do it. It’s easy to get tied up in the day to day activities, and then before you know it, Summer is over. Of course, you should also make it a point to stop in for an adjustment after all that physical activity as well!