Summer is a fun time, full of sun and pools and beaches, outdoor play and family vacations.  It can be one of the most wonderful times of year for both parents and children, but accidents and trouble may lurk and there are some things that you should know about keeping your children safe this summer.  

SUN:  Everyone can't wait for summer, we want to feel the warmth of the sun on our skins, we want to turn our skin tone into a darker shade, we love the love.  Well, lately the sun is becoming a greater danger then we ever thought possible!  When you are out in the sun, it is okay to feel the warm on your skin, just make sure it is protected by sunblock.  It is especially important that you protect your child's skin as well and nothing under SPF 30 should be used.  If your child gives you a hard time about applying the sunblock they now have products that change colors, which most kids find fascinating and others that you spray.

WATER:  One of the largest fears come summer time is drowning.  The best way to protect a child from drowning is to always make sure they are supervised when in a pool, beach or other water.  It is not just when they are in the water that they should be supervised. but whenever they are around water.  A child can drown in even the littlest of water from a kiddie pool in your backyard, therefore normal play should always be in a separate area from water/pool play.

THE BUDDY SYSTEM:  Older children feel that they deserve a little more independence then they had when they were younger, and it is okay to give it to them - in pairs.  This means, never send a child out alone, always make sure that there are two people together at all times.  By having a buddy system there is always someone that can get help, if something was to happen.  It is also more intimidating for someone to approach groups of people, as apposed to approaching a single child.

REFLECTIVE CLOTHING:  Summer is a time of late nights and outings.  When traveling in the evening be sure that your child is wearing some reflective items to insure safety.  If you don't have anything like this, then invest a few dollars in those neon glow bracelets.  Having one of these on your child not only makes them easier to vehicles to spot, but also can help you locate them in a crowd in the evening.

CELL PHONE:  Many parents worry about giving their kids a cell phone too early, but there are some great cell options that don't need to cost you a fortune.  There are phones that can just call certain numbers and cells that can just call for help.  A cell phone is a great way to be able to locate your children, to allow your children to call you any time day or night or to call for help when they need it.  Once kids begin going off on their own, they need a cell phone.

Even those with the best parenting skills around sometimes search for parenting advice from other moms and dads. If you are needing a question answered or an activity idea visit www.parentinginformed.com.