Winter brings its own set of hazards to our families. For example, did you know that sledding accidents will injure 20,000 kids this year? This is only the number that are serious enough to be reported through a hospital or visit to the doctor’s office. Short of putting our kids in bubble suits or making them stay indoors all day, what can we do to make sure that our kids stay safe in the winter?
Here are some winter safety tips.
Make Sure Kids Have the Right Stuff
Before your child heads out the door in the winter, make sure that he or she is properly fitted out. This includes protection from the cold, such as warm coats, gloves or mittens, hats, etc. It also includes any sports related gear, such as helmets, goggles or wrap-around sunglasses, well-fitting and sharpened ice skates, wrist guards for skiing or snowboarding or whatever makes sense.
Size Up the Location
Make sure that you first size up the location your kids will be heading to. A lake may look frozen, but if the temperatures haven’t been below freezing for at least a couple of weeks, children could fall through. Scout out the hills for skiing, sledding and snowboarding to make sure that there aren’t obstacles that could injury, such as trees, rocks, poles or even benches. A sledding path shouldn’t lead to a street, no matter how quiet it seems.
Use Common Sense
Having adult supervision is just common sense. If you kids are embarrassed by having mom or dad around, present it in such a way that it will elevate the embarrassment. For example, offer to make and serve hot chocolate or snacks. You can still keep an eye on the kids.
Other common sense points to think about: never pull a sled using a motor vehicle, don’t skate with food, candy or gum in your mouth, and cover exposed skin with sunscreen, since winter sun can reflect off of the snow and ice, causing burns.