Tips

A few weeks ago, Tony had some great tips on getting kids to use their imagination. But how can parents make sure their yard is appropriate and encourages outdoor play and exploration? Here are six tips, courtesy of Simple Mom.

1. Emphasize open space. The more physical space your kids have, the more space they have to imagine and explore.
2. Plant different flowers and plants. Having a garden lets kids watch fruits and vegetables grow.
3. Keep safety in mind. Avoid dangerous plants and using pesticides and fertilizers, especially where your kids will likely play.
4. Encourage space to build/create. Kids like to dig; get a sandbox!
5. Use your imagination. The best way to encourage your children’s imagination is to show them how. Create forts between trees or pretend that your garden is a hideaway.
6. Make space to relax. Kids have a lot of energy, but even they can get tired at some point. A shaded area to rest will encourage them to stay outside even when they’re pooped.

From Simple Mom. Photo by billaday.

A drowning person may be harder to spot than you think. According to Mario Vittone, a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, drowning usually doesn’t involve someone crying for help. It’s difficult to identify because it’s so quiet.

“I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life,” Mario wrote on his blog.

He suggests several signs to look for:
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Though we just got you excited about going to the amusement park, it might be worth talking about ride safety. Though rollercoasters and similar rides are supposed to be scary, they’re not actually supposed to be dangerous. Then why do 7,000 Americans go to the emergency room every year because of carnival rides?

Accidents on carnival rides happen for three main reasons: equipment failure, inconsistent state regulations, and human error. Strangely, while the Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates how rides are made, no one is keeping an eye on how they are set up, run, or maintained, at least on the federal level. It’s up to the individual state governments to do that, and many states just don’t do a good job of it. In fact, six states don’t do inspections at all! (I couldn’t find out which ones didn’t. Let me know if you know!)
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When temperatures reach the 90s or higher, it’s time to take the sun seriously. Here are four things to keep in mind while enjoying the summer heat.

• Stay hydrated. Plenty of water, and even sports drinks, will work just fine. (NO SODA!) They’ll replenish the fluids you lose when you sweat.
• Beware of heat exhaustion. It’s not secret hot weather zaps your energy. Cramps, heat exhaustion, headaches, etc. If you start to feel those symptoms, get out of the sun and cool down.
• Know heat stroke when you see it. If someone is sweaty and not feeling well, that’s heat exhaustion; it’s more serious when they aren’t sweating, meaning their body is starting to shut down and not letting heat out of the body. That’s heat stroke.
• Avoid sunburns. OK, nobody intentionally gets sunburnt, but if you’ve got blisters on your shoulders, chest, and back, you need to go to a doctor.

From the Los Angeles Times. Photo by Pink Sherbert Photography.

There’s nothing better than grilling during the summer (OK, maybe the beach). But how can we make sure that we’re taking all then necessary precautions when grilling? Over at Strollerderby, Dr. Martha Howard of Chicago Healers has some tips to help you grill as safely as possible and avoid exposure to harmful chemicals:

• Before you get started, thoroughly clean your grill to get rid of any leftover bits from the last cookout.
• When grilling with charcoal, avoid petroleum starters. Instead, use a wood starter and stack your charcoal up in a 2 pound metal can with the ends cut off. When the coals are ready, use tongs to lift and remove the can from the grill.
• When using a gas grill, light it immediately after opening the propane valve.
• To reduce the amount of PAHs, trim the fat off your meats before cooking.
• Marinades actually protect meats from charring, so go ahead and soak it up – in the refrigerator, of course.
• When done, make sure the charcoal is completely out or the propane gas valve is tightly closed.

From Strollerderby. Photo by Another Pint Please.

Fireworks are a staple of Independence Day, but of course, they’re not exactly the safest of activities. (They are explosives after all.) As a parent, what can you do to make sure that your fireworks experience is as safe as possible? Here are five tips from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

1. Children should never play with or light fireworks.
2. Adults should always keep a bucket of water handy in case of a malfunction or fire.
3. Adults should read and follow all warnings and instructions before using fireworks.
4. Adults should be sure that other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
5. Sparklers burn at such high temperatures that they burn clothing.

Fireworks are illegal in some states, so be sure to double-check if lighting some fireworks isn’t going to land you some huge fine. Although I can appreciate the tradition, I don’t think I’d ever let young kids light fireworks. Isn’t it just safer to sit back and watch a professional light show instead?

Photo by bbusschots.

Most of my health advice comes from asking myself, “what would my mother do?” But then I realize that while my mom was full of great tips, she was also prone to believing a lot of health myths, especially when dealing sick kids (she still does, despite my insistence that she’s wrong). Here are five you might not know about:

Giving a child cold medicine.
Apparently cough medicine is “very nearly useless,” and things like nasal decongestants can make things worse. Instead, use anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen like Advil or Motrin) for aches and chills.

Too much milk and juice.
Milk is low on iron and can reduce a child’s appetite. Limit it to 32 ounces a day up to age 3, and 16 ounces from 3 to 5.
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Happy National Home Safety month! (Exciting right?) Well, it’s as good a time as any to just refresh your memory on some basic home safety tips. The AARP has 30 home safety tips that are surprising and worth knowing. For example, did you know that each year 65,000 barbecue grill fires cause as much as $27 million in property damage each year? Lesson: move your grill a little farther from the home.

Each day in June, the AARP will post one of the “30 for 30″ tips. Here are some:

• Did you know that most falls in homes happen in the bathroom, not on the stairs?
• Did you know that cooking-related fires are the leading cause of injuries among people 65 years of age and older? Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing while cooking and use a timer to remind yourself to check food you have in the oven.
• Did you know that more people are injured using hand tools than power tools?

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Today marks the end of National Safe Boating Week (yes, that’s real week!). So if you’re planning on enjoying this Memorial Day weekend on the water — the busiest three days of the year for recreational boating — the National Safe Boating Council would like to remind you to wear your life jacket.

And here are some other safety tips:

• Check the weather ahead of time.
• Be prepared, follow a pre-departure checklist.
• Let someone else know where you’re going and how long you intend to be out.
• Don’t drink and drive boat.
• Make sure all your passengers know how to swim.
• Consider a free vessel safety check from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Makes me wish I could own a boat so I could be so safe in it!

From The Injury Board. Photo by Zaphgod.

Each year, nearly 300 children under the age of five drown in residential and public pools. Yesterday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission launched a new pool safety campaign, just in time to remind recreational swimmers to stay safe and smart at the pool. Here are some pool safety tips to keep in mind:

• If you own a pool, enclose it in a four-sided fence at least 4 feet high.
• Make sure any pool you use, in public or your own backyard, is equipped with safe drain covers that prevent suction injuries and deaths (these are now required by federal law in public pools).
• Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and water-rescue skills. Have a phone handy.
• Supervise children constantly and closely.

Do you have any other tips for keeping kids safe by the pool?

Be sure to check out PoolSafely.gov. Photo by havenholidays.