12 Ways to Childproof Your Summer
A couple of million families will visit the ER. How to avoid a trip
As children burst into the long, lazy days of summer—on wakeboards, roller coasters, and all-terrain vehicles—parents may want to bone up on precautionary measures. Injuries in kids under 15 spike during the summer months, resulting in more than 2.4 million visits to emergency rooms and more than 2,100 deaths each year, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
The good news is that the death rate has decreased by more than 40 percent over the past two decades, thanks to bike helmets, seat belts, and alarms that sound when a toddler slips into the pool.
But much can go wrong short of tragedy. Here are some ways parents can keep kids healthy without spoiling the fun:
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