Many injuries incurred by children during the summer take place right in the child’s own backyard. Safety threats lurk in places you might not expect, and as a parent, it’s your duty to ensure that your children’s immediate environment doesn’t pose any unnecessary hazards. Thus, it’s imperative that you take into consideration some of the tips offered by Consumer Reports in a new piece.
If your child has never received a bug bite or bee sting, it’s pretty much impossible to know how they’re going to react. They might be allergic to bee stings, and thus it’s imperative that you protect your kids by taking steps that might limit your child’s exposure to insects in the area.
When your child gets past the age of two months, it’s admissible to apply insect repellant that contains DEET, but make sure that the level of DEET is under 30%. What you shouldn’t put on kids is scented perfumes or soaps, as these can attract insects, as can bright clothing that bugs could get confused with flowers. You might also consider removing a bird bath, where stagnant water can collect and attract insects.
Should your kid actually get stung by a bee, take a look at the affected area to see if you can find the stinger. If you can, take something like a credit card or even your fingernail and scrape across the skin at a horizontal angle to remove the stinger. Be on the lookout for an allergic reaction and seek prompt medical attention as needed.
Flowers not only might attract insects, but they can create their own hazards. Many types of plants could create a poisoning threat to your kids, especially if your child is five or younger and tempted to swallow the plants. Get in touch with a local Poison Control authority to find out what types of poisonous plants are typical in your area of California, and clear those plants from your yard if possible. If you can’t remove them, at least fence off your yard from any plant that could be deemed dangerous. These include Lily of the Valley, oleander, foxglove, and more.
Also be careful with the pesticides that get applied to plants. According to the EPA, 50% of houses place some form of pesticide in an unlocked cabinet that kids would have access to. Don’t make that mistake. Store pesticides in a proper locked cabinet that a child is unable to reach. Make sure you keep the chemicals in their original containers rather than some type of cup that a child might confuse for actual food or drink.
If you spray your yard, keep kids away for a couple days, and make sure you’re not accidentally applying the pesticide to any toys outdoors. To really cut down on danger, you might opt for a non-chemical product.