Splish Splash, Summer Safety!

The last two weeks have been insane and hectic for me. I packed up all my belongings, and somehow managed to fit it all into my tiny car. Now I'm in Philadelphia and ready to start the next chapter: The Babysitting Company Philadelphia!!!! Spread the word!

This time of year, it doesn't matter where you are, it is HOT! Children are very sensitive to the sun and heat so I want to go over, and refresh your memories with some summer safety tips.

1) Drink plenty of water: I know you know this, but it's very important. Babies under the age of one get dehydrated the easiest, and this can lead to death. They should drink three cups of water each day. 

AGE	CUPS OF WATER
1-3	5
4-13	7-10
14+	11-15

*Please note that amount of water intake depends on size and gender of the person.  Also, the more active the child is, the more water they should drink.

2) Sunscreen: The Environmental Working Group recently put out their top sunscreen choices.  Please check them out at Best Sunscreens. When swimming, it is best for the children to wear long bathing suits, or swim shirts, a hat is also important too.  If this cannot be achieved, then make sure you put sunscreen on everywhere. Especially in kids with lighter hair, make sure you get their hair too. 

-Babies under the age of six months should not wear sunscreen.  Please keep infants in the shade and avoid going outside during the sunniest and hottest hours of the day.

-Do not forget to reapply sunscreen often.

-Even if it’s a cloudy day, sunscreen is a must

3) Pool Safety: It is important to watch the children like a hawk, but it is even more important to keep your eyes on the kids at all times when they are in or near a pool.

          -Learn where safety equipment is before the parents leave and keep a phone nearby.

          - The article Keep kids safe in, around the water from htrnews.com states, “Each year, more than 3,400 people drown in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and more than one in five fatal drowning victims are children younger than 14.”

All this summer talk is making me thirsty, how about you?!  Please be safe in the summer sun, and if the child is bright red and sweaty, maybe it is time to switch activities.  If you are alert, focused, and aware, everything should be just fine.

Enjoy your summer!

Elyssa and The Babysitting Company