Although many students are counting down the days to the end of the school year, parents have a lot to consider regarding the safety of their children during the summer months. For younger children, it’s often about having to keep an eye on them more hours of the day. For older children, parents must take into consideration what their kids may be doing with all that free time when they’re not around.

Experts say there are ways to keep children safe without ruining their time off. Water safety often is a major concern for parents of kids of all ages. Being proactive is the best way to prevent problems later, said John Lambeth, health and safety coordinator for the Red Cross in Abilene. If you own a pool and have small children, he suggested using gates and pool alarms. Lambeth also said that although water safety devices like life jackets and flotation devices may be helpful, parents should not trust those things alone to keep their children safe. Close supervision is a must.

“Do not let kids out of your sight when they are in the water,” he said. He added that getting in the water with your kids is even better. When sending your older children and teens off to swim at a local pool, swimming area or at someone’s home, make sure they have adult supervision or that a lifeguard is on duty. Lambeth said that precaution is a good idea for everyone. Even an adult shouldn’t swim alone in case an emergency occurs. ”And emergencies can happen pretty quickly,” Lambeth added.

Swimming lessons are another good way for your child to learn about safety, and learning skills that will help your child become a stronger swimmer certainly cannot hurt. Check with your local pools and swimming centers, the YMCA or the Red Cross to see if lessons are available. Make sure those teaching are certified lifeguards or swim teachers.

If your older children will be home alone at times during the summer, FamilyEducation.com offers a few tips that may prove helpful:

• Take a tour of your house together and make sure your child knows how to unlock all doors and windows. Also ensure your child can operate appropriate appliances correctly and can adjust your thermostat.
• Have a well stocked first-aid kit handy and make sure your child knows where it is and what to do in certain situations.
• Make sure your child understands fire safety and that it’s not OK to use matches or light candles while you are gone.
• Tell them your plan of action during a severe weather breakout, like a tornado.
• Make sure your child knows how to call 911 in an emergency and has your phone number and those of close-by relatives and neighbors.
• Leave a spare set of keys to your home and vehicles with more than one neighbor or relative in case your child loses them or locks himself out of a vehicle or the house.
• Talk to them about how you want them to handle people coming to the door or calling. It may be best for younger children or a child that is all by himself not to even answer the door or the phone.
• It’s also important you talk to your child about online safety if he or she will have access to a computer when at home alone. It might be a good idea to set a rule that going online is not allowed until you get home.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making and fire and life safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.