As much as I love summertime, the season brings its own set of dangers that are not as prevalent during the colder months. As a parent, I have to stay acutely aware of these dangers in order to protect my children from them. One huge danger during the warmer months is water – so when I had the opportunity to team up with Nationwide Mutual Insurance to talk about their Make Safe Happen program which includes Water Safety, I was happy to get involved.
Nationwide’s Make Safe Happen is a program dedicated to reducing accidental injury – the leading cause of death of children. For most of us, the very idea of children getting hurt or worse is something we can not even bear the thought of – but the truth is we have to keep it in the forefront of our mind in order to keep our children safe. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 9 million children are treated at emergency rooms across the country and more than 9,000 children die each year due to accidental injuries. It is up to us parents to bring those numbers down.
Almost 800 children drown each year and two thirds of those fatal drownings happen between May and August. Nationwide is working closely with Safe Kids Worldwide on integrated efforts to help inform parents and caregivers of precautions they can make to help prevent such a devastating accident. Just a few simple changes and remembering to stay alert can ensure you have a safe summer.
Make Safe Happen recommends three precautions to ensure children’s safety in and around water this summer:
Active Supervision Eliminate distractions like checking social networks or email and stay within arm’s reach of young swimmers at all times.
Reduce Risks Install fences in swim areas, empty kiddie pools and tubs immediately after use, and provide swim lessons to children as young as one.
Be Prepared Learn CPR and First Aid, know the signs of drowning and keep a phone close in case you need to call 911.
Safe Kids is hosting a variety of local community events through its coalitions and the Make Safe Happen website has updated articles and tips and tools to download – they even offer an app for your smartphone that can help you put their safety tips to work right in your own home. As part of Make Safe Happen, Nationwide set a goal of inspiring 1 million safety actions by the end of 2016. Check out this quick video to learn simple safety actions you can do with your family this summer:
Whether your summer plans involve a trip to the beach, lake, or swimming pool, you can ensure your children’s safety around water this season. We are not given a handbook for this parenting thing, but thanks to programs like Nationwide’s Make Safe Happen, we can get a few tips to just remind us how to keep our family safe. Be sure to get the Make Safe Happen app and check out Nationwide Make Safe Happen Site for helpful tips, tools and water safety resources for parents and caregivers.
