Safety Tips for Summer Break

Summer is a time for outdoor fun. It also is a time for potential health risks, including sunburn, insect bites, injuries and seasonal illnesses.

A recent survey revealed that one in four parents are extremely or very concerned about their young teen’s health during the summer break. In addition, ninety-two percent of parents plan to maintain open communication with their children to ensure that they have a safe summer. The following tips address these concerns for an active, healthy and happy summer break.

Thirty-five percent of parents cite heat exhaustion as their top summer health concern and 75 percent will insist that their young teen wear sunscreen. Warm weather means more time for outdoor activities. Protect your young teen from sunburn which can contribute to skin cancer and damage in the future.

What you can do to minimize the risk:

Limit sun exposure when possible, particularly during peak hours of 10 AM to 4 PM.
When your child is going to be in the sun, provide a water-resistant or waterproof sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher to be applied liberally, uniformly and thickly to all exposed skin surfaces. - Don’t forget to protect lips, ears and toes!
Remind your young teen to apply sunscreen and lip protection 30 minutes to two hours prior to sun exposure, depending on the product’s instructions, and to reapply every one to two hours and after swimming or heavy perspiration.
Pay attention to expiration dates and discard outdated sunscreens.
Encourage your child to wear light-weight, light colored, loose-fitting clothing and a hat, particularly on hot and humid days.
Provide a portable, durable water bottle or sports beverage. Remind your child to drink before feeling thirsty and throughout the day.