Summertime for kids should be about adventure and enjoyment. If you asked most children, summer is probably their favorite time of the year. Getting to sleep in, going to water parks, playgrounds, fun camps and most importantly (for them) no homework. In all, it should be a fun time without a care in the world.

Unfortunately, that is not the world we live in anymore. Without being alarmist, there are more dangers in our society than there ever was when we were growing up. The good news is that there are certain things we can do as parents to protect our children:

1. If your child spends a lot of time online, there are a couple of choices you can make to protect your child’s safety. Make sure the computer is in a common household area in your home, tell your child never to send pictures in an email and never agree to meet in person or give out any personal details. Software such as McGruff’s Internet Safety is a good option if you cannot monitor your child’s online activities all the time.
2. Your child’s safety does not just come down to their online or outside activity. Having sanitizing wipes readily available is a good way of ensuring your child does not ingest any unwanted germs.
3. If you have someone other than you picking your child up from a summer event, you should use the password method. Give your child and the person picking up your child a password that only they know. If someone else tries to pick up your child and they don’t know the password or it seems a surprise to them, this will send up red flags immediately. Make whoever is running the event aware of the password method but not the password itself - that way they will know what to expect when someone comes to collect your child. Instruct your child not to go with anyone who doesn’t know the password.
4. Before sending your child to a summer camp do a check on the local neighborhood to see if there are any registered sex offenders living close by. This can be done online quickly and easily with Family Watchdog. If you find any close by you have two options, seek reassurances from the camp directors or send your child to another camp.
5. Be prepared in case your child goes missing. Store all of their essential data and pictures with a service like Instant Amber. InstantAmber provides law enforcement with critical data and photos in seconds, not minutes or hours, increasing the odds of successfully recovering your missing child. InstantAmber gives you the peace of mind that comes with knowing that if the unthinkable happens, you have taken every precaution and will be as prepared as possible.
6. Before putting our kids on swings, slides or any other kind of playground ride, check it out for faults. It only takes one loose screw or bolt to cause broken bones. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you live in New York and your child has a playground accident despite your checking the equipment, you should seek a NY playground accident attorney.

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