Everyone probably has one friend who always scolds or tells them they’re doing something wrong. How annoying! Unfortunately, life can be dangerous for children, so I have to be that friend. Here are a few ways to sustain summer fun.

1- If your children use a scooter, skates, a bike, or anything else that propels them when their feet are not firmly on the ground, they need a helmet. Make sure the helmet fits properly and is buckled. Used helmets are usually not a good idea. Once a helmet has protected someone in a collision, it is no longer as effective as when it was new.

2- Water safety is important. If you take your child swimming, you are responsible for your child’s safety. Do not rely on other adults, teens, lifeguards, or flotation devices. The younger the child, the lower the water level capable of causing drowning. Also, children and adults rarely yell when they’re drowning. It is curious and unfortunate, but the usual behavior when unable to keep your head above water is silence. Keep your eyes on your child. While teaching your child to swim is a good idea, even good swimmers can get into trouble in calm waters.

3- Another way to ruin summer is to ignore the sun. Even cloudy days can be a risk for sunburn. Every day that your child spends playing outside is a good day to use sunscreen. The sun’s damage is cumulative. Skin damage can lead to skin cancer as we get older. Sunburn can be painful. Pay attention to the tops of the feet, the ears, the neck, and actually every other exposed part of the skin. And the eyes! Often people think it’s the chlorine that’s burning their eyes when it’s actually the sun. Everyone needs decent sunglasses on sunny days. Swimming removes a lot of the sunscreen. The best choice for the face is actually the non-chemical sunscreen that contains titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. A swim shirt that protects the trunk and arms is also a convenient way to protect skin and reduce reliance on frequent application of sunscreen. A special word about infants: there is no minimum amount of sun that is safe for infants. Their skin is just too thin. They should always be shaded. Even sun bouncing off sand can cause a burn.

4- One of the reasons I like winter is because there are no insects. In the summer, especially at dusk, we are susceptible to mosquitoes that can cause life-threatening diseases. Use repellant that has DEET or wash clothes with permethrin. If you can educate yourself about permethrin, you can learn the easy way to protect yourself from insects. Permethrin also protects against ticks. There are now five different kinds of ticks in Connecticut and several new illnesses. If your kids play in grassy or wooded areas, you need to check them for ticks every night. Check in all the folds if they can’t do it themselves. If you will visit places like Florida or the Caribbean or Central/South America, you are at risk for dengue, zika, and chikungunya from mosquitoes. As funny as it may be to say these strange words, the diseases are very dangerous.

5- Finally, safety is not a high priority for kids. They need to be reminded constantly about street safety and where it is safe to play. Your personal situation may be different from that of your neighbors, and you can’t assume your children will always make the right choices. Start by imagining the unimaginable. Then figure out how to prevent it. Enjoy your summer!

Robert B. Golenbock, MD, is now retired. He cared for children in the Danbury area for 43 years, including at the Center for Pediatric Medicine (CPM), located at 107 Newtown Rd, #1D, Danbury, CT, 06810. For more information, please call (203) 790-0822 or visit https://centerforpediatricmedct.com.