Labor Day Safety for Kids
Saturday, September 5, 2009 marks the 127th anniversary of the first U.S. Labor Day in New York City, which recognizes the achievements of American workers. It also happens to be my daughter’s and granddaughter’s birthday, so Happy Birthday Jamie and Michelle!
During this fun-filled weekend, which we also recognize as the end of the summer break, families are involved in a variety of activities to get their last bit of fun time in before fall. Typical highlights are swimming, boating, fishing, camping, BBQs and travel to visit the family.
What would Labor Day be without some helpful safety tips for the holiday? Having a background in emergency services, safety is always on my mind. So, here is a reminder of a few safety tips to keep your weekend enjoyable while protecting your children and grandchildren.
- Watch children around pools, lakes, rivers, streams and oceans. Every
year, thousands of drownings and near drownings occur, and many of them are children. Even if children know how to swim, never let them swim alone. It only takes a few seconds for something to happen. Also, remember to use safety vests when in boats, canoes and on other watercraft. - Watch children around fire, and put out your fires. Labor Day weekends are fun for BBQs and campfires. Communicate the dangers of being around fire, while teaching children the importance of extinguishing a campfire and BBQ to prevent wild fires.
- Remember the sunscreen. Children are not immune to skin cancer because they are young. Frequent exposure to harmful UV rays can cause skin cancer later on, so protect their skin.
- Always buckle up. Even if you are only driving down the street to the neighbor’s house, a seat belt is a must. Statistics show from a variety of sources that 1 in 3 car accidents occur less than 1 mile from home.
- Use helmets for bikes, skateboards and ATVs. Preventing brain injuries in children is a must.
- And last, but not least…know Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). A few hours of training can save a life. Many classes are free to the public, and are now offered online for a reasonable fee. However, I would recommend the live training version to get the hands-on experience.
There you have it. Today’s action is to have a very safe and enjoyable holiday weekend!
Warm regards,
Kay L. Fontana
“The Grandcoach”
P.S. If you have a good safety tip that I didn’t list, please leave a comment and share it with others.
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