SUMMER SAFETY TIPS

Although summer can present much time for relaxation and bonding, many accidents can occur which often result in regrets and feelings of “if I had only known”. Therefore, in addition to finding useful activities for your children, you will also need to pay attention to the fundamental rules of safety. To help the very young ones to remember these rules parents can role-play.

• If you have to work long hours, as most parents do, arrange to have adult supervision for your child

• If your children are at a nursery, be aware of who is supervising them. Choose summer programs, camps, and activities with care. Make certain that the program is registered with the Ministry of Education; and the daycare centre is approved by the Ministry of Health for meeting the requirements of a safe learning environment for children.

• Do enquire about how the proprietor does her background screening for employees; and find out the ratio of child-to-adult supervision that is available for outdoor activities and field trips.

• Find out the departure and expected return time for these field trips and if you can, visit the location prior to the date your children are expected to visit. Also, visit these programs, unannounced, to see how the staff interacts with the children.

• Choose babysitters and day care centers/nurseries with care. Obtain references from family, friends, and neighbours. Check with the Ministry of Health’s Child Development Agency for publications on the regulations and guidelines, which govern day care centers.

• Observe the babysitter’s or daycare personnel’s interaction with your children and talk to your children about their feelings about the babysitter.

• Your children will indicate if anything goes wrong. Observe their body language, sulkiness, withdrawn or hostile behaviour are usual indicators that something is not quite right. Asks the proprietor, ask the child’s caregiver. Monitor closely until the behaviour has adjusted.

• Create safety games with your children about how to get out of dangerous or uncomfortable situations. Ask if they had to use their safety game today and why – this will become a routine conversation and you will be alerted about anything that happens to them.

• The best source of information about your children is your children. Ask about their day and then LISTEN carefully to their responses.

• Caution your children never to approach a car, especially when strangers are around, no matter how big a smile the driver has, or how delicious the ice-cream cone he may be offering looks.
  Predators have been known to use a number of tricks to entice children to go with them, including offering food and or asking for directions. Since most children tend to be helpful and are constantly seek adult approval, it is easy for them to forget the safety rules.

• Teach your child to say no. In our culture, Jamaicans tend to think that an assertive child is being rude. Children need to know it is okay to say no. Their safety is much more important, than crowd appeal. This will encourage them to speak frankly if someone has touched or spoken to them in an inappropriate manner.

• Do not assume your children are safe when playing in the yard. Frequently check on them and instruct them to tell you if their plans change or if they want to go somewhere else with a friend. This goes for the teens as well as toddlers.
  Children are safer with other children than alone. But bear in mind that too often safety in numbers is not enough.

• Teach your child to keep away from large bodies of water, moving or still namely, pools, canals, flooded bridges, rivers, etc.

• Have your teens talk to you about how they feel about sex. Talk about STDs and HIV/AIDS, pregnancy and what these issues mean for their future. Talk about abstinence.

• Teach them how to surf the Internet and chat rooms with care whether via a computer or via a cell phone.

• Since daylight lasts longer in the summer months, be sure your children know when they need to be home. Teach them to call home and let an adult in the family know that they are going to be late.

• If you allow your children to play outside after dark, don’t’ waiver on the cutt-off time. State clearly the physical boundaries and the time they should be indoors.

• Remind your children to follow these safety rules. Be sure to review them frequently especially about the homes they are allowed to visit when you are not around. Discuss the boundaries and why.

• Get to know their friends and write down full names, addresses, and telephone numbers. Teach the little ones how to use the telephone in case of an emergency.

• Advise them never to give out any information about the family on the telephone such as, that they are home alone.

Summer is truly a special time. Take advantage of all that is available to you and your family and have fun! Powdered and canned juices

Tell us what issues you want addressed

Send e-mail to: cacjam@infochan.com or star@gleaner.com

Write to us at: 1B Holborn Road, Kingston 10 Or call us at: 926-1650-2 or toll free 1-888-991-4470, ask for our Information Desk