By You remember all those summers you had as a child. Now that school was out, you were happy to be out of bed as soon as you woke. You’d be outside as soon as breakfast had been eaten. And your parents often wouldn’t get sight of you again until it was time for dinner. Spending the day playing with friends, you’d find things to do until it got dark, then you’d sleep like a rock until the morning.
Fast forward to today, and you have your own kids. Now that there are more home-based play options, they may need more encouragement to go outside. But when they do go out, they repeat the old routine. It’s good to see them active, of course. That said, we are more aware now than we have ever been of the need to ensure safe play. While ensuring your kids make the most of their summer, it’s good to keep an eye out.
Cycle Races: Expect The Inevitable And Prepare For It
If you had a bike when you were a kid – and most of us did – you’ll have at least one memory of coming off. Maybe you were slow to turn and slid out of the saddle. Maybe you learned the principles of weight distribution by flying over the handlebars a few times. Your kids will inevitably have some spills, so ensure they’re safe. Kneepads are a good idea, and look at companies such as MelonCASE for helmets to keep them safer still.
It’s Hot Out There: Make Sure They’re Hydrated
As we get older we get better at reading the messages our bodies send us. For example, we will eat if we get hungry and sleep if we’re tired. As kids, we don’t realise how far adrenaline takes us. We can run for hours without much of a pause to take breath. So it’s worth making sure that your kids stop to take on water every hour or so. Unless they stay hydrated, they can get sick and have a bad few days.
Keep An Eye Out For Them
You’ll often hear people talking about how times have changed since we were kids. We’d play outdoors, get into scrapes and go on adventures. “And it didn’t do us any harm” is the usual pay-off line, implying that today’s kids are somehow soft.
But safety of all kinds has become more of a focus, and looking out for your kids regularly while they play outside is important. We all know the risks kids face today, and they are sometimes exaggerated. But we also know that it’s better to be safe than sorry, so ensure that kids’ outdoor play is supervised by an adult. They’ll need a referee for their football games anyway!
Image from Pubic Domain Pictures
It’s important for kids’ development that they do get time to play outside during the hot summers we have. As long as we are safety conscious on their behalf, we can ensure they have the best time possible. That way, when they have kids, they’ll pass on the simple joys of an activity-packed summer.
