Collaborative Post¦ A day out with the family should be a lovely experience with little problems and lots of exciting things to look forward to, but sometimes there are things we need to consider and prepare for when going out for the day, especially when there are toddlers with you. Children at the “toddling” age can be a handful, not entirely confident on their feed and with little understanding or care about dangers that surround them. Even a simple walk to the park can feel like a military operation when you have a small person to keep safe!
So what can you do to keep everyone safe on the next outing? Well here are some tips to make sure you aren’t stuck needing a personal accident lawyer like Robinette Law.
Photo by David Straight on Unsplash
Temperature
Depending on where you are in the world many dangers are surrounding the weather, if it’s boiling hot and the middle of summertime you are then you will need sun hats, plenty of water, sun cream, parasols for pushchairs and appropriate clothing. If it’s freezing cold, you’re going to need gloves, coats, woolly hats and plenty of wet weather gear if there is rain forecast. Obviously, the dangers in extreme weather are sunburn/ heat stroke and hypothermia (smaller children are more prone to becoming ill if exposed to severe weather). ‘That’s not to say you can’t enjoy your day out together if ‘it’s a bit warm, or cold! Just be prepared and make sure you take any protective gear with you!
Car Checks
If you’re taking a bit of a journey to your destination, you’ll want to check the tyre pressure to make sure you avoid any type blowouts on the motorway, that the windscreen wash is topped up and you have plenty of petrol and oil in the car too. You obviously need to keep a close eye on all aspects of the car safety by keeping it serviced regularly, but staying on top of these little things before each long-distance will reduce the odds of having any problems on a lovely day out. Don’t forget to join a roadside assistance scheme if you’re concerned about being stuck on the motorway. Also, it goes without saying that following the law on car seats is essential, so make sure you have received the correct advice on this one.
If you are taking public transport, remember to observe all the rules and keep hold of your toddler, so they don’t wander off. A backpack with reins can be an excellent investment for those children who are likely to be ”runners”.
Destination
If you’re visiting a local farm, for example, make sure hand washing facilities are used appropriately and prevent your toddler licking the cows if possible (sometimes it can’t be helped though!) as there are plenty of diseased floating around. Also, there are always plenty of rules and regulations in place about the venue owner’s responsibilities and keeping visitors safe, but sometimes things go unnoticed, so keep a close eye on anything that could be a potential danger to your toddler. Most venues have playgrounds as well so make sure your toddler is only using age-appropriate equipment and is supervised, they can get themselves into trouble quite quickly these small tots!
First Aid
It’s essential when you have small children that you know a little about first aid, whether it is knowing what to do if they choke on food, or how to deal with a cut on their head you’ll be so glad you spent time learning the basics. The statistics of children hurting themselves on a family day out speak volumes, and it’s always beneficial to know precisely how to deal with these emergencies. Most of the time, parents can quickly sort the problem and carry on with the day, but sometimes every second counts and having the knowledge to hand can save serious issues occurring.
Lost Children
Unfortunately, it happens far too often where a toddler wanders off and gets lost momentarily, it’s incredibly worrying, and if you’ve ever lost sight of your child in a busy crowd, you’ll know that feeling of dread that happens when you think something terrible has happened. But luckily 99% of the time they have just toddled off for a minute, usually to find some more sweets or the cute dog they saw five minutes ago. But there are things you can do to prevent this, or make it easier to find them quickly. Writing your phone number on the inside of their arm, keeping them on reigns until more trustworthy, or getting a GPS watch for them are all great ideas. And even if your baby is now a teen, you can add ”find friends” locator to their phones and keep a close eye on where they are if they aren’t answering their phone!
These are just a few considerations for you to make note of the next time you’re planning a family day out, but there’s no reason you can’t have a wonderful time without worrying too much, just plan ahead and enjoy your day out!
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.