GOODlife Magazine June 2017
Featuring Steven Curtis Chapman on this month's cover, GOODlife Magazine is a premier Christian print and digital magazine. We capture readers with captivating articles, including regular interviews with prominent leaders and artists and topics such as family, business, travel, events, and so much more!
Featuring Steven Curtis Chapman on this month's cover, GOODlife Magazine is a premier Christian print and digital magazine. We capture readers with captivating articles, including regular interviews with prominent leaders and artists and topics such as family, business, travel, events, and so much more!
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Summer is an exciting time for kids...<br />
A break from the school-year routine gives them<br />
time to play and learn in new ways. Camps are a<br />
wonderful place for children to practice new skills<br />
and make new friends. But families need to prepare<br />
for camp just as they do for a new school year. At<br />
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta we’ve found that<br />
prevention is best. If your child is attending camp<br />
this summer, it’s important to educate yourself and<br />
your child on how to help ensure a safe and healthy<br />
camp experience. Take precautions and set your<br />
child up for success by preparing him or her for<br />
some of the typical camp events that may lie ahead.<br />
3Tips<br />
for a Great (and Safe)<br />
Summer Camp<br />
Experience<br />
1. Do your research and keep an open line of communication<br />
Learn the camp’s training requirements and screening policies before deciding if it’s right for your child. Make sure the<br />
camp does background checks for all staff and volunteers. Feeling confident about your child’s care and wellbeing is the<br />
first and most important step to helping ensure your child has a safe and rewarding experience. Once you do select a<br />
camp, you will want to update and share your child’s medical history and conditions, including all known allergies, with<br />
camp administration.<br />
2. Teach water safety<br />
Water activities are often a favorite pastime at camp, but can be dangerous. Enroll your child in swimming lessons before<br />
camp. Teach him or her to never run, push, or jump on others around water. Children shouldn’t be in or around any open<br />
bodies of water without adult supervision. Only swim in designated safe areas of rivers, lakes, and oceans. Swimming in<br />
open water is not the same as swimming in a pool. Nobody should dive into oceans, lakes, or rivers because there is no<br />
guarantee for how deep the water is or what might be hidden under the surface.<br />
3. Practice outdoor safety<br />
It’s important to practice safety habits when spending<br />
time in the great outdoors. Kids should apply sunscreen<br />
and lip balm specifically made for children with an SPF<br />
of at least 30. The label should say “broad spectrum<br />
coverage,” meaning it gives protection from both UVA<br />
and UVB rays. Kids should also use insect repellant that<br />
contains 10 to 30 percent DEET (N-N-diethyl-metatoluamide).<br />
Follow the instructions carefully. If hiking,<br />
children should wear comfortable boots to protect from<br />
blisters and support their ankles. When in wooded<br />
areas, kids should tuck in clothes and remain as covered<br />
as possible to avoid bites or stings. If children go into<br />
heavily wooded areas, be sure to check frequently for<br />
ticks. Most importantly, kids should always stick with<br />
a group when in the woods. Everyone should carry a<br />
whistle and use it if they get separated from the group.<br />
If kids do get lost, they should wait in a safe, sheltered<br />
place until an adult can find them.<br />
Visit choa.org/summersafety for more safety tips<br />
from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.<br />
june <strong>2017</strong> 9
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