Childproof Your Summer: Hydration
Keep your kids safe without spoiling summer fun:
11. Keep pouring. Since the thirst mechanism in kids isn't as sophisticated as in adults, they may already be dehydrated by the time they come searching for a drink, says Eric Small, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Small recommends that a child drink 8 ounces of water or sports drink 15 to 30 minutes before a workout and take breaks every 15 or 20 minutes to drink about half that amount.
Signs of serious trouble include rapid heart rate, altered mental status, dizziness, and headache or nausea—though many children show no warning signs. Those who are overweight or take medicine for asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or allergies are at an increased risk of dehydration. At a minimum, a 5-year-old needs about six cups of fluids a day; a 15-year-old, about eight.
Other ways to childproof your summer:
1. Wakeboarding • 2. Trampolines • 3. Sunscreen • 4. Drowning • 5. Internet Safety • 6. Exercise• 7. Vaccines • 8. Bug Spray • 9. All-Terrain Vehicles • 10. Medications at Camp • 11. Hydration • 12. Amusement-Park Rides
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