How To Have Summer Fun [Safely}!

Summer vacation has officially begun and with heat rising, you're more than likely to head to a nearby pool, lake, or the beach. Seeing as how these are top daily destinations for families, safety is a huge factor in getting through the season. 

My padawan and I went for a swim today and it got me thinking about all the reports that are sure to follow soon: water related accidents.

Drowning, heat stroke, dry drowning. These are all very real accidents that can turn any families world upside down. They're scary to think about, but absolutely preventable/treatable. So to help all my Jedi's and their padawan's stay safe, I thought I'd shed some light.

Drowning is pretty well known. It's when someone inhales waters after being submerged in it. Scary but entirely preventable. Make sure there is a secure fence around any pool your little one's go around, be sure to always keep an eye on them, and have some sort of flotation device on them at all times (floaties, a vest, etc.). 

Dry drowning is a little less known, but still very very scary. 

Dry drowning occurs when a person's lungs can't remove air from their lungs, mostly due to muscular paralysis. It can occur up to 24 hours after swimming (or even bathing). Luckily there are a few warning signs to give you a heads up:

- Trouble breathing
- Vomiting
- Chest pain
- Irritability
- Sleepliness
- Drop in energy
- Coughing

If you think your little one is experiencing dry drowning, go to the ER and seek professional medical help immediately. The key to preventing is is watching the kids closely. You should be within two steps of an arm's reach when your padawan's are near water - including the bathtub. 

Heat strokes are something to also be concerned about, which closely relates to dehydration with symptoms of confusion, dark-colored urine, dizziness, fainting, headache, muscle or abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pale skin, profuse sweating, and rapid heartbeat. 

This is easily happens to youngans, because of their constant energy (they want to run around everywhere). 

Treatment includes drinking plenty of fluid, removing any unnecessary clothing, placing them in a cold shower or bath, and lowing their body temperature any way you can - ice towels, fans, etc. Prevention is very similar to the treatment. Make sure you nor your little ones get too hot, drink plenty of water, and take plenty of "cooling breaks". 

Summertime can be one of the most memorable seasons of all - mine personally is winter time - but it's important to take of yourself and young ones. 

To keep things fun, there's a few ways to keep your little ones happy AND safe. Besides keeping floaties on, try putting an umbrella over the area they are swimming (like a kiddie pool), have popsicles on hand for them to continuously snack on, supply plenty of "watery foods" - like cucumbers, watermelons, etc. - for them to snack on, and make sure to apply lots and lots of sunblock. 

You can check out our beach day HERE on how we stay cool. 

Basically it's all about maintaining a good body temperature and not allowing too much sun exposure. Having fun is awesome, but providing plenty of refreshments is extremely important to keeping our spawns safe and healthy. So remember: while summer fun is all the rage, summer safety is even cooler.