Keeping your kids safe this summer

With half-term over, children are returning to school for the final stretch of the year, and with those all-important exams ahead the summer break couldn’t come soon enough!

Having the kids around the house over the summer is a challenge for many parents, especially those with younger children – it’s not always easy to keep track of them, and a lack of supervision could lead to accidents.

With it being Child Safety Week, it’s a good time to get some helpful advice to ensure your children stay fit, healthy and happy over the next few months.

And if your child does end up with a few more scrapes than you’d ideally want, we’ve got everything to help at LimbO – our waterproof covers are available in child sizes to make getting over that broken bone or burn so much easier.

Smartphone sense

This year’s theme for Child Safety Week is ‘Turn Off Technology!’ – and with most children, that’s a hard task to say the least! Smartphones, tablets and computers seem to be more and more common among young children these days, and they’re practically ubiquitous for teenagers.

Parents can also be over-reliant on these devices, so it’s easy to get distracted by them – and it could put your child in danger as a result if you’re not paying attention to what they’re doing. A recent survey from the Child Accident Prevention Agency found that 85% of parents go straight to their devices when they receive a new notification or message – and that one in four admitted their child had either suffered an accident or came close to one while they were pre-occupied with their phones.

It’s not just the parents at fault, as the same poll revealed that 15% of children using smartphones had suffered an injury while using them, by walking out into roads without looking amongst other causes.

One way to prevent is to establish strict times when both parents and children can use their mobile devices. This frees up quality family time where you can bond more and do much more, whether it’s going for days out, taking part in sports or just playing around in the garden.

Not only that, it can prevent them from becoming obsessed with staring at their screens all summer, and keep them fit and healthy too!

Fun in (and out of) the sun

Even if your child is the most tech-obsessed it’s possible to be, summer can give them a love for the great outdoors. Spending all day outside with mates isn’t quite the lost tradition people think it is! But it’s easy for children to take things too far to impress friends, and wind up getting hurt as a result. Ending up in a plaster cast is never a good way to spend a summer.

Trampolining in the back garden is fun for people of all ages (and we mean all ages!) but one wrong bounce could spell disaster, so installing a safety net in the areas is a good idea. Think twice from joining in with your kids as well – while it might not be as fun, the difference in weights could make things much more unpredictable, especially on smaller models.

Even if your child is happier when they’re inside, be vigilant as falls can happen all around the house – from windows, down stairs and out of highchairs to name a few. Be sure that your house is properly equipped with items such as secure window catches and stair gates to prevent your children from taking major tumbles.

Care in the kitchen

Getting the kids involved in the kitchen is a great way of keeping them busy, as long as you can make sure they remain safe, so don’t be afraid to show them how to bake delicious treats!

Just remember never to leave them unattended in the kitchen while you’re cooking, and take extra-special care when using knives or other sharp implements that could cause injuries.

Burns are a common problem for A&E staff to deal with – many of them coming from incidents when a parent’s back is turned, so always be vigilant with hot stoves, kettles and matches. Keep all possible dangers to the back of worktops along with all hot drinks.

For more information on National Child Safety Week, visit the official Child Accident Prevention Agency website at www.childsafetyweek.org.uk.

Don’t let having a plaster cast keep you or your children from enjoying the holidays. LimbO products are designed to make showering with a cast easier, increasing quality of life and opening up so many more opportunities to make summer better. Our range of products also includes Sealskinz outdoor protectors for children – sandproof and waterproof, they’re perfect for the beach!

For more information on how to buy our products give our official site a visit – www.limboproducts.co.uk