Summer Child Safety Tips Experts Want Parents to Know

Easy-to-remember summer safety tips from a pediatric ER doctor who has seen it all—and really wants you to put on a helmet.

For many families, summer is a time for creating sun-drenched memories with the kids, even while balancing the usual parental responsibilities like making lunch. However, the joys of water slides, road trips, lake outings, and outdoor play come with potential hazards that parents should recognize, according to a board-certified adult and pediatric ER doctor, mother of three, and founder of No-Panic Parenting.

Long shares that in her experience, summer is, sadly, the “busiest pediatric trauma season” with “remarkably predictable patterns.” But, she adds, the comforting part is that knowledge is good news—experts know what’s coming, and what to do to prevent the same types of accidents that happen each year. “It means a handful of preparations dramatically lower your family’s risk,” she adds.

Here’s what to consider as we head into the hot summer months to keep the memories all about fun in the sun, and not anxious hours at urgent care or the ER.

Bike, Trike, Scooter, and Ride-On Toy Safety

Long recently treated a toddler whose mother was in the process of putting a helmet on, when he picked up his feet and started rolling down the hill. “He fell and hit his head hard. He came into the ER not speaking, and didn’t say a word for two hours,” she says. A CT scan showed a concussion, but fortunately, no more severe injuries. “But it was a terrifying incident for mom and a reminder that toddler accidents happen so quickly.”

Safety in and around the water is extra important when hot weather drives families to the pool or the shore. Long shares some important summer water safety tips for babies and young children to reduce the risk of drowning:

Assign one person at a time to watch kids in and around the water. This is what Long calls the village paradox: “When everyone’s watching, no one is watching,” she says. “I see this constantly at pool parties and barbecues. Ten adults around a pool feels safer than two, but it’s actually more dangerous, because each adult assumes someone else has eyes on the kids.” Designate lifeguards who switch in 10- to 20-minute increments—you can even make it “official” with a lanyard or a whistle that designates the on-duty lifeguard. While the adult on duty is watching the kids in the water, their attention is undivided.

Hot Cars, Car Seats, and Car Safety

Summer brings an increased risk of vehicle-related accidents as family schedules deially aware of during the summer months include accidentally leaving a child in a hot car, a child becoming trapped in a hot vehicle, and backover accidents. Here’s what to know:

Prevent hot car fatalities. Research suggests that hot car tragedies may occur more frequently during the summer, in part because of disruptions to usual family routines that can lead to children being left in cars unknowingly by a caregiver. “Children’s body temperatures rise three to five times faster than adults’—which is also why hot car deaths are so devastating, and disproportionately [a] summer [occurrence],” Long says.

Fourth of July celebrations bring an onslaught of safety issues, says Long. “[There are] firework injuries and a spike in non-traffic fatalities,” she says, noting that even sparklers “burn hotter than a stovetop.” Fireworks and sparklers aren’t the only potential backyard burn hazard to be aware of during the summer: Long urges parents of young children to practice caution around hot asphalt, fire pits, and grills.

Staying Safe While Still Enjoying Your Summer

While this list of summer safety hazards can seem overwhelming, with dangers and potential accidents seeming to lurk in all the most enjoyable summer moments, it doesn’t have to be.

“You don’t need to add a hundred new fears to your summer,” says Long. “You need to focus on the small handful of things that drive the overwhelming majority of injuries.” She suggests focusing your summer safety prep on what you can predict and prevent. “Drowning, helmet-preventable head injuries, hot car deaths, and window falls are concentrated, predictable, and largely preventable with a few specific actions taken before the season starts. Once those are handled, you’ve done your job. You can stop scanning for the next thing to worry about and actually be present with your kids. Because this is supposed to be the fun part.”