It can be a lot to manage kids when school is out for summer break. Part of ensuring your children remain safe and sound year-round involves educating them about the most common causes of home injuries – and having safeguards in place to help prevent harm. The following are among the most important summer safety tips parents should consider to create a safe home environment, especially when kids are home from school.
Water & Pool Safety
Always supervise children when they are in or around water – whether it’s at the pool, beach, or in the bathtub. Enroll your children in swim lessons if you haven’t done so already; being able to float and tread water can save lives. Florida leads the nation in the number of child deaths each year due to unintentional drowning – so much so lawmakers are helping to pay for swimming lessons for families unable to otherwise afford it.
If you have a swimming pool at your home, make sure your pool is protected against use by unattended children, such as surrounding the pool with a fence with self-closing/latching gates. A pool cover and pool alarm are also great ideas. Designate one adult who knows CPR as the water watcher, whether they’re home alone with the kids or the house is full of people. There should always be one person with the responsibility to keep watch when children are in the pool.
Florida homeowners with a pool should also talk to your home insurance agent about potentially increasing the personal liability limits on your homeowners policy – or even purchasing umbrella (extra liability) insurance to protect your assets in case you’re found liable for a visitor injured in your pool.
Fire & Grill Safety
Teach your children basic fire safety rules, such as not playing with matches or lighters, as well as escape strategies during a fire: covering their nose and mouth and staying low to avoid smoke inhalation, and how to check doors for heat before opening them. Children should be instructed never to hide during a fire.
It’s critical everyone in the home be familiar with at least two ways to exit the home from every room in the house. Conducting periodic fire drills can help all household members know how to act quickly and safely in the event of a fire. Practice at different times of the day and night, and select an outside meeting place – such as a nearby streetlight or mailbox – where everyone should meet after exiting the home when there’s a fire.
When you’re grilling at home, enlist your child’s help to use chalk or tape to create a circle around the grill, so any point in the circle is 3 feet away from the grill. This is your BBQ-only zone – no kids and no pets allowed. This can help prevent inadvertent bumping or running into the grill, which could topple it and spread a fire.
Fireworks are also popular during summer festivities, but can be extremely dangerous. Every year, fireworks cause serious injuries, including burns, eye injuries, blindness, and amputations. Always supervise children during fireworks displays – and don’t let children handle the fireworks. Even sparklers can be harmful to young children who might grab the wrong end of a sparkler or run right into a lit sparkler.
Weather-Related Risks
Being prepared for the potential danger of summer weather in Florida – such as lightning and hurricanes – is critical, especially for families with children.
As the lightning capital of the U.S., it’s important to treat summer thunderstorms with the respect they deserve. It’s good to remember, for example, when thunder roars, go indoors (and remain inside for at least 30 minutes after the last thunderclap). You don’t have to experience a direct lightning strike to be hurt or killed. For example, most deaths and injuries occur via a ground current – when lightning strikes the ground, then travels to and enters the body from the ground, exiting the body from the part of the body furthest away from the ground.
When a hurricane or tropical storm is on the way, make sure everyone in the home – especially children – know which area of the home is considered the safe room. In addition to an emergency kit kept in the house, you should also have a communication plan, so everyone knows who to contact in case you’re separated. For very young children, it may be helpful to create laminated cards with their name, age, other identifying information – along with your contact info – and put it on a lanyard or belt clip they can wear during or after a hurricane tears through.
Child Safety Resources
As a general rule, you should make sure emergency numbers are easily accessible and your children know how to call 911 in case of an emergency. For older children who may be home alone at times over summer break, schedule regular check-ins by phone or text to ensure they are safe.
Here are additional summer safety resources you could put to use with your kiddos (and their friends!):
- Water safety for kids (Red Cross) – engaging water safety videos, activity sheets, and quizzes for children
- Pool safely (Consumer Product Safety Commission) – info about pool barriers, pool covers, pool alarms, and pool safety tips
- Drowning prevention (Florida Department of Health) – swim lesson voucher plan and more
- Home pool & hot tub safety (American Red Cross) – free online course for parents; home pool essentials; swim app
- Safety education (Consumer Product Safety Commission) – comprehensive materials, based on child age and activities
- Fire safety for kids (American Red Cross) – interactive games and educational content
- Safety checklist for home (Seattle Children’s Hospital) – checklist to make your home a safer place for children
Summer Safety for Kids Requires Adults Be Informed & Alert
When children are home over summer break, it's crucial to be vigilant about potential home hazards. Pool drownings, home fires, and severe weather are among the biggest potential risks to life and limb – and are especially prevalent during the Florida summertime, which also happens to coincide with when kids are out of school for summer break.
At Edison Insurance Company, we’re in the business of protecting your home – and everything in it. It’s why we share summer safety tips like these, to help ensure everyone in your household remains happy and healthy in the long term. Would you like to review your home insurance policy or ask about additional coverage? Contact your Edison insurance agent. And if you’re not yet insured with us, get your online quote now.
