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Tuesday, June 25, 2002

Summer Safety Tips

Check the calendar. Check the thermometer. Summer’s here! I’m Elisa Morgan with some Summer Safety Tips for preschoolers, next on MOMSENSE.

Spending time outside is one of the simple pleasures of summer. However, more time outdoors means more chances for childhood injury. Use these tips to keep your preschooler safe and healthy this season.

• Help prevent insect stings by applying repellent to children’s clothing instead of their skin. If your child has an allergic reaction to a sting or bite, see your doctor for immediate treatment. For routine stings, remove a stinger by scraping horizontally across the surface of the skin with a credit card or fingernail. Wash with soap and water, and apply a cold compress.

• If you have a fence, be sure the latch is high enough that your child cannot open it herself. Check all play equipment and yard supplies for splinters, loose screws, popped nails, and sharp edges. Keep your sandbox covered so that local wildlife will not use it as a toilet.

• Look for poisonous plants around your child’s play area and remove them. Ask a local nursery or call your poison control center for a list.

• Always be on guard when your child is around contained water sources. Even an inch of water can be deadly! When outdoors, never leave a child unsupervised around a kiddie pool, swimming pool, hot tub, fountain, or even a bucket. Empty all containers after use, including the wading pool, and put up or deflate as appropriate.

You’re not being overly protective, Mom. You’re just being safe.

For more summer safety tips and reminders, check out the June/July MOMSense Magazine. For a complimentary copy call MOPS International at 1–800–248–2682. That’s 800–248–2682. And meet me here again for more MOMSENSE…because mothering matters.

(from the MOPS International Web Site)