The Ten Most Dangerous Things for Kids This Summer

We're basically required by law to be within shouting distance of our kids at all times now.  Of course, when I was a kid, I could've died at any given moment in my backyard from all the stupid stuff I did. So it's amazing kids today get hurt at all.  But here's some stuff to keep in mind while they're not in school.

It's the ten things they are most likely to hurt themselves with over the summer . . .

1.  B.B. guns.  The number of injuries jumped 500% between 2010 and 2012.  Apparently those are the most recent stats on it.  And it's partly because they're more powerful than they used to be.

2.  Toys that fly, including drones.  You especially have to worry about head injuries.

3.  Hoverboards.  A doctor at Boston Children's Hospital helped make the list.  And he says on Christmas Day last year, he saw four hoverboard injuries in four hours, including two kids with broken arms, one with a broken leg, and one with a concussion.

4.  Baby pools.  Small kids can drown in as little as two inches of water, so you really have to pay attention.

5.  Flotation devices and water wings.  It's because they give you a false sense of security.  So you have to watch kids while they're swimming, no matter what.

6.  Pool covers, because kids can get trapped in them.  And not just little kids.  Sometimes teenagers jump in pools at night without realizing there's a cover.  So it might be a good idea to keep a light on if you have a pool.

7.  Trampolines.  A ton of kids hurt themselves on them every summer.  And between 2003 and 2013, there were also over 100,000 injuries related to bounce houses.

8.  Non-motorized scooters.  It might be partly because we're less likely to make kids wear a helmet when they ride one than when they ride bikes.

9.  Cords on clothing, and straps on helmets.  Mostly for little kids, because they can get wrapped around their neck.  Yes . . . apparently HELMETS are dangerous now too.

10.  Toys with small parts.  Because they can be a choking hazard.

And this should go without saying, buy you also have to be careful about the SUN. I read recently a study that found only 25% of kids regularly wear sunblock.  And 50% said they'd had at least one sunburn in the past year, which puts them at higher risk of developing skin cancer later in life.

So... happy summer?

Dangerously yours,
Behka