just for kids

june 2002

Diabetes care for children has changed dramatically over the past several years with the introduction of self-monitoring of blood glucose, insulin infusion pumps, rapid-acting insulin, and carbohydrate counting. All of these have given pediatric health care professionals and parents of diabetic children a new arsenal of weapons with which to keep blood glucose levels within safer limits in children with diabetes. Just as dramatically, the needs for keeping our children safe elsewhere have changed. The world today is very different from the world that we adults knew as children. So often parents of children with diabetes are so focused on keeping their child well that they lose sight of the fact that these children are just that - children that need basic training in coping with the dangers of today's world. Here are some basic summer safety tips for children for you to keep in mind and some for you to teach your children. Water Safety: Children should learn to swim at the earliest age possible. Even once they learn to swim, never leave children alone in or near the pool, not even for a second. Make sure any adult watching young children in the pool knows CPR and could rescue a child if necessary. Keep rescue equipment (life preservers and a shepherd's hook, a long pole with a hook on the end) and a telephone or cell phone near the pool. Don't allow anyone to depend on flotation devices such as rafts or rings as they make suddenly lose their air or become detached from the person and float away. Never swim alone and only swim in safe areas. Know how deep the water is and don't dive or jump into water that's too shallow. No running around a pool. If swimming at a public pool or at the beach, swim near a lifeguard. If swimming in the ocean, teach everyone how to swim if caught in a rip current, often mistakenly called "rip tide" or "undertow." Anyone caught in one of these currents should swim parallel to the shore until the pull stops and then swim to shore. If you can't make it to shore, tread water and wave for help from the lifeguard. If a storm comes up, get out of the water immediately and seek shelter inside a safe structure. Do not seek shelter under a tree. Personal Safety: Put your child in the back seat; it's the safest place in the car. Provide approved car seats for babies and small children. Make it a family rule, that the car won't move until everyone has their seat belt on. Teach your child to always check with a parent or other person in charge before they go anywhere - even next door to play. If your child walks to school, make sure he/she walks with a least one friend; it's safer and more fun. If your child gets separated from you at the mall, in a store, or at an amusement park, insist that he/she seeks immediate help from a store clerk or security person rather than running around trying to find you on their own. If a stranger asks them for directions, teach your child to tell the person to ask a grownup and never go over to their car to give directions. Without frightening your child, tell him/her that if a stranger, or even someone they know, bothers them or touches them in a bad way, to say "NO," then run away, and tell an adult. Listen to what your child is saying and make it possible for them to come to tell you if a place or person makes them feel not safe. Teach your child to know how and when to cal 9-1-1. Assure your child that you will never send someone they don't know to come and get them under the pretense of bringing them to you. You'll always come yourself or send someone they know they can trust. Talk about safe places for your child to go if they need help - a friend's house, a fire station, a police station, or a store. Teach your child to never open the door to a stranger or to tell someone who calls on the phone their name, phone number, or address. Playground Safety: Teach your child to wait their turn, whether for the slide, swing, jungle gym, monkey bars, merry-go-round, or seesaw. Make sure your child doesn't have any loose strings on their clothing that could snag on the playground equipment, causing them to get caught or to fall. Make sure shoes are securely tied. Rules of the swing: never stand on a swing, don't swing too high or crooked; never jump off a swing while it's still moving; don't run or walk in front or in back of the swing. Rules of the slide: never run up a slide or slide down backwards. Rules of the merry-go-round: wait until the merry-go-round stops before you get on; don't jump off until it stops; hold on the bar or handles when the merry-go-round is moving. Rules of the seesaw: hold on with both hands; never ride a seesaw backwards; always let the other rider know when you're going to get off. FTG