Make your home safer for kids

According to the Home Safety Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing home injuries, half of the children who die before their first birthday die from choking or suffocation. Many times such tragedies can be averted.

Parents of very young children can and should take it upon themselves to safeguard their youngsters from various choking and suffocation hazards around the house. The Home Safety Council offers the following tips to parents hoping to do just that.

* Keep smaller items out of reach. In general, anything that can fit through a tube of toilet paper is big enough to cause a child to choke. This includes hard candies, coins, peanuts, and even latex balloons. Always store these items in closed areas or in places that are beyond a child's reach.

* Make the crib a kids-only zone. Pillows, toys and comforters in a crib can cause a child to suffocate. Make the crib off-limits to these types of items, and always put children to bed on their backs.

* Clip window cords. Window cords, such as those that hang from blinds, can be very dangerous if they make their way into the hands of young children. Clip the loops in these window cords and make sure they are always high up the window where curious kids cannot reach them.

* Read all toy labels. Kids have so many toys that parents can easily overlook toys that might be safety hazards. Parents of especially young children might feel a little run down from raising their youngster and unknowingly let a few toys slip past their radar. However, it's imperative parents read all toy labels before handing the toys over to a child. Pay specific attention to the recommended ages for each toy, as those recommendations are often made with child safety in mind.

* Keep kids at an arm's length at all times when around water. Another potential threat to kids' safety around the house is water. Children can drown in as little as an inch of water, and it might only take a few minutes to do so. As a result, parents must be mindful and attentive whenever kids are around water. Bathtubs, toilets and, of course, pools present serious safety hazards to young kids. Whenever kids are around water, always stay within arm's length.

* Erect a fence around a pool or spa. Many communities have laws in place that require pools to be fenced in. But those laws often only mandate the yard where the pool is located be fenced in. While that might be sufficient, it can also help to erect a fence around the pool itself and keep a lock on the gate to prevent curious youngsters from making their way to the pool unsupervised.

* Turn buckets and wading pools upside down when not in use. Many parents purchase wading pools so their kids have a fun place to relax on hot days. When the kids aren't living it up, empty these pools and turn them upside down. Do the same with any buckets you have around the house. Whenever possible, store empty buckets outside the reach of children.

* Prevent burns. Adults know to be cautious around hot water, but kids often learn the hard way. To prevent burns, keep hot water at or below 120 F.

More information on making your home a safer place is available at www.homesafetycouncil.org.

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Keeping Kids' Minds Sharp Throughout the Summer

As any parent knows, kids often look forward to summer as much as they look forward to Christmas morning. Children commonly greet time off from school with open arms, while educators and parents tend to feel more bittersweet at the arrival of summer vacation.

According to the National Summer Learning Association, research going back a century has indicated that children score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer than they do at the beginning of summer. A 1996 study indicated most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months.

Though teachers appreciate the break from classes and parents understand their kids need time to play, educators and parents alike are concerned by how to keep kids' minds engaged over the summer while still allowing them the opportunity to be kids on summer vacation.

The following tips can help kids stay sharp and enjoy themselves this summer.

* Read to children and encourage them to read as well. Summer reading lists used to be mandatory at many schools across the country. While that practice has largely fallen by the wayside, parents can read to their children and encourage children to read on their own as well.

Another way to encourage kids to read involves doing so indirectly by setting an example. Many adults love to take a book outside during the summer months, whether's it's relaxing on the front porch or reading at the beach. Let kids see you reading during your own free time, and they're more likely to mimic that behavior.

* Subscribe to magazines and newspapers. Many of your own favorite periodicals likely have kids' versions ideal for summer reading. Kids will look forward to receiving their monthly subscription in the mail and enjoy spending time poring over articles tailored to them and their favorite hobbies.

Newspapers can also make for a great and daily source of reading material for kids. Boys might grab for the sports section while girls go for the style and entertainment section. This can be a great way for kids to stay sharp and learn language and usage skills as well.

* Take the classroom outdoors. Kids might not like sitting in a classroom all day, but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't like to learn. Summer provides a great opportunity for parents to take the classroom outdoors by visiting local parks, aquariums, zoos, and museums. At the local park, allow kids time to soak in the park's history and identify plants and trees throughout the area. The same type of lessons can be taught at the aquarium or zoo, where kids can learn about marine biology and the animal kingdom in ways that don't remind them of a musty classroom.

* Encourage your child's inner meteorologist. Summer is a season that can be a lesson all on its own. Though heat and humidity are most commonly associated with summer weather, the season also serves up a storm or two or even a drought. Parents can use these changes in climate as a chance to teach kids about the planet, explaining what's happening during a lightning storm or how and why droughts occur. Kids who aren't scared of lightning will no doubt enjoy some storm watching over the summer, when lightning and thunder combine to make some beautiful sights.

For more information on summer learning opportunities, visit the National Summer Learning Association Web site at www.summerlearning.org.

CAPTION: A trip to the zoo can be the perfect combination of fun and learning for kids during summer vacation.

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Keep Kids Safe Around the Pool

When it comes to pools, kids generally love to dive right in. While parents enjoy the smiles on kids' faces as they laugh and lap it up in the backyard pool, it's important for parents to emphasize safety when kids are around the pool. To do just that, consider the following tips, courtesy of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

* Be especially vigilant with younger children. The AAP emphasizes that parents need to be especially careful with children younger than 5 years, recommending that kids that young are always within arm's length when in or around the pool.

* Keep rescue equipment and a telephone nearby. In case of an emergency, be sure to keep a first aid kit and rescue equipment within reaching distance of the pool. Also, should you need to call 911, have a phone within reach and make sure older kids bring a phone out when swimming unsupervised.

* Remove toys from the pool when no one is swimming. Leaving toys in the pool when no one is swimming could entice children to reach for them or jump back into the water to get them. Both of these scenarios could prove very dangerous, so be sure to remove all toys from the pool when everyone has finished swimming.

* Erect a fence around the pool. Many communities have laws mandating all pools be fenced in. For those that don't, it's still a great way to ensure kids don't wander into the pool area and fall into the pool. The AAP recommends gates that self-close and self-latch, and preferably a fence where the latch is higher than a child's reach.

* Don't leave kids alone. Even if it's only for a minute, children should never be left alone when in or near a pool. Adults who know CPR should be around kids whenever they're near a pool. If the phone rings or something else forces you inside, make the kids leave the pool and the pool area before proceeding.

* Cover the pool when not in use. Even if your pool is fenced in, a pool cover can be a great safety valve to keep curious kids from falling into an unattended pool. While this won't entirely prevent drowning, it can lessen its likelihood.

Keywords:
kids safe swimming pool backyard pool parents

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