5 Ways To Keep Your Child Safe During The Summer

Now that warm weather is here we can finally take our kids outside for a little fresh air. If you have a toddler like I do, you'll probably find your self chasing him/her around your yard instead of sitting on your deck drinking beer. But that's okay because we all need the exercise.

As fun as going out in the sun is, there are some precautions you should take to protect your little one. These might seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised. Think of this as a pre-summer refresher course.

"I'm actually pooping right now. Ha ha!"

Here are a few tips to enjoy your time with your kid outside:

1. Use plenty of sunblock on you and your child. Toddlers still have sensitive skin so you want to protect them the best you can.
2. Never leave your child alone in a kiddie pool. It doesn't take much for a small child to drown. Always stay within arms reach of your child. Give them your full attention. This is not the time to be playing around on your smartphone.
3. NEVER leave your child unattended in your car. When the sun is shining it can get fatally hot inside a car. Even with the windows down, the temperature can get dangerously high. Don't even leave your child if you're just running in for "a minute or two." It can get hot fast! And if a bystander sees your child alone in a car on a hot day, you'll probably get a visit from the police.
4. Make sure your child drinks plenty of water. They can get dehydrated very fast, especially if they're running around. I always have a sippy cup filled with water easily accesible to my DS.
5. Watch out for hot metal on playground equipment. I've gotten more burns from things that have baked in the sun than I care to count. Always check to make sure the playground equipment is cool enough for your child to play on.

There are hundreds of more tips on keep your toddler safe during the summer months. I just touched on the few that I've been following with my own son so far.

If your toddler has any medical conditions you should check with your doctor before playing outside. Better safe than sorry.

Enjoy the summer!

Photo Credit: bengrey Used under the Creative Commons license.