Children are magnets for play, fun and injuries. Preventable injuries are the No. 1 cause of death of children in the United States. Worldwide, a million families lose a child to a preventable injury each year.
Kids are going to fall, crash, slip, explore. It’s part of being a kid. But we can protect them from serious injuries due to motor vehicle crashes, fires, drowning and more. This is a problem we can fix.
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The Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, the Safe Kids Southwest Florida Coalition and community sponsors are hosting a Safe Kids Day on Saturday, April 27 at the Page Field Airport in Fort Myers to educate parents and help children learn ways to protect themselves.
It’s important for children to learn about the tools they can use so they feel empowered. Things like always wearing a helmet when bicycling and never swimming alone are easy to understand and implement.
Many parents think they know about safety — and they do — but there is always more to learn. For example, 80 percent of all car seats are installed incorrectly. Most people don’t know that. (Inspectors will be available at the event to let you know if yours is installed correctly.) Also, babies should not sleep with anything in the crib. Many parents want to include a stuffed animal or a blanket, but it’s not a safe choice.
While the event is about safety, it’s also a way to start a dialogue within families.
This event highlights what the Safe Kids Coalition does all in one day, but our work continues throughout the year. We want parents to communicate with their children and children to talk with their friends about making smart choices. Even something as small as putting down the cell phone when the child is in or around the water is important. Often, we find that adults learn from their children or grandchildren.
Safe Kids Day is aimed at all ages and is meant to be fun. It’s fun to see the children get excited about safety. We want families to have a great time but take away the message that children are vulnerable. Losing one child is one child too many for something that could have been prevented.
Sally Kreuscher is the Safe Kids coordinator at the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. Safe Kids is a nonprofit coalition of agencies and organizations dedicated to eliminating preventable childhood injuries. Visit safekidsswfl.org.