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With the summer approaching, we must take extra precaution as to the safety and well-being of our children. A few things to be on top of:
1. Do not leave your children alone in the car, even if you’re just running in for a “minute”, your car will literally roast & suffocate the children, and this can happen faster then you think. Even if you leave the ac on and the doors locked, cars are unpredictable and can stop working properly, even new expensive ones. You are also leaving your children vulnerable to child predators.
More on Safety:
1. Secure your children in properly in their car seats, and booster seats. Make sure you are using the right equipment for your child’s weight.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping your child rear facing as long as possible, There are car seats which permits rear facing until 35 pounds, even if your child’s feet are long.
Do not put a rear facing only seat forward facing. Do not put a child under 80 pounds in a regular seat belt, they should be in a booster seat still until then. Children under 100 pounds should not be in the front passenger seat if that car contains an airbag in that seat.
Children should ALWAYS be secured in their car seats, and booster seats, even if you are “driving just one block” or “driving just in the development” – My husband who is a paramedic, had a call, where the parent was just going to pull out of a driveway to park in the street and got hit by another car, the child went through the windshield, and barely survived, and had terrible facial wounds.
If you are unsure of how to secure your child in a car seat, call your local ems, they will usually show you how to do it properly for no fee. Also visit http://aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm for more on car seat safety and information.
Make sure your children are properly hydrated at all times, and if they look flushed give them juice, There have been too many cases of children getting heat stroke.
Make sure your child has on sun block to protect them from harmful uv rays and burns, fair skin children tend to burn more and faster, but darker skin children can also burn.
Children are vulnerable to many dangers and they look to us for protection, let us not let them down.
Lets not forget driving in the mountains! As a member of Hatzolah, I have seen way too many accidents (especially at night) because people simply are not used to winding roads, roads that are slick (fog and dew) and certainly not used to winding, slick roads without streetlights. Please, please, lets teach EVERYONE to be 100 times more careful on these roads, especially at night. Lets not require Sullivan County to have medevacs on standby because of “the Jews”.
Two more points
1) A hat will do a lot to protect against heat.
2) Check that your smoke detectors work!
Oh and find some time to take your kids to the park or on a hike, thats the fun part of being a parent!
This thread MUST be woken up.
Do not leave your children alone in the car, even if you’re just running in for a “minute”, your car will literally roast & suffocate the children, and this can happen faster then you think. Even if you leave the ac on and the doors locked, cars are unpredictable and can stop working properly, even new expensive ones.
It is not even summer yet, and I already heard about three or four people leaving their children in the car.
We got to be more careful!
Here’s one of them:
Lakewood, NJ – A father was charged with child neglect today (two days ago —EDITED by d a) after police say he left his 9-month-old in a car for more than an hour and a half on an afternoon when temperatures reached into the high 80s.
The child was found unresponsive and suffering from heat exposure in the back seat of a car on Ocean Avenue. First aid responders were able to revive the baby, who was further treated and deemed in stable condition at Kimball Medical Center, according to police.
The father told police that he was supposed to drop off the child at a day care center but forgot the infant was in the car and went straight to the learning center he attends, at 145 Ocean Ave.
About an hour and 40 minutes later, his wife called him and asked about their child, prompting the father to check his car, where he found the child in the car seat, according to police.
Members of the school then called emergency responders, including Hatzolah First Aid. The father was arrested and charged with fourth-degree child neglect. The infant was eventually moved to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch for further observation.
Here are some tips to keep kids safe around cars:
*Never leave a child unattended in a car. Not even for a minute.
*Warn your children about playing in and around cars.
*Get your kids out of the car first, and then worry about unloading the groceries and items out of the car.
I’d like to add the importance of bicycle helmets. Ask any hatzoloh member that has responded to a trauma call, and be convinced.
Not as crucial for rollerblading (unless your speeding down the big hill in Prospect / Central park) but for bikes, which can easily reach a speed of 10 mph, a fall without a helmet is a disaster.
BP Totty, you are 100% correct!
You only have one head. Protect it.
Just 6 words…
Sun screen, Sun screen, Sun screen!
You know that sunburns hurt for a few days,
but you may not think its the biggest deal in the world.
BUT… twenty or thirty years later when YOUR child, chas v’chalila, develops skin cancer because of your neglect, you will, when it’s too late, surely have a different opinion.
Aizeh Hu Chacham?… HaRo’eh es ha’nolad.
Sun screen is not enough to say. You must put on sunscreen every few hours because it comes off (especially those in camp where you go swimming). Someone I know has to put it on every 1/2 hour because they are very light skinned and get burned very fast. I’m not light skinned and even I have to put it on a few times not to get burned. It’s very dangerous. Also everyone should drink, drink, and drink some more! (and I mean water, not all that sugar in soda)
a note about leaving children in a car alone- Never ever leaver them alone in the car even for a minute, no matter what season-winter spring summer or fall. It takes just a mere few seconds for someone to chas veshalom break into the car and…
and don’t get fooled by “its the daytime,” and no one tries these things during the day when everyone can see, because unfortunately there are many stories nowadays that prove otherwise.
Also make sure you know every second where your kid is even inside a store.
Someone can be in one aisle and in two seconds the kid can walk around the next asile and be out of sight where G-d forbid anything can happen.
Do not leave strollers unattended, even inside.
Would you leave your money unattended, even for a second?
Don’t even think of comparing children to money!
Babies and kids deffinately need to stay hydrated.
About strollers, don’t stick your stroller into the street while waiting for the light to change. I think its common sense, but from what happens on the streets, its not.
1. bp totty, i agree with you except on pne point- even on roller blades, a helmet is very important. if a childs head meets the sidewalk, at ANY speed, there can be negative repercussions.
2. what is wrong with comparing children to money? if one had a huge sum of money, or gems whice were very precious, they would not leave it alone even for a second. are our children not our most precious asset?
yeah? how much would u sell ur kid for?
Children are our most precious asset and that’s why we don’t compare them to money which should not be a person’s most precious asset.
A pet peeve of mine is the fact that some women (this seems to be somewhat prevelant in Boro Park) seem to think it’s okay to leave their children outside in their strollers while they go into stores to shop. I’ve heard more than one story about children being taken — and even if every story I’ve heard is untrue (which I doubt), there is still no reason to leave your young children (I’m talking about infants and young toddlers) unattended outside.
The Wolf
i didnt say i would sell my kids for anything. what i said was that you wouldnt leave a large sum of money lying around unprotected, so how much more so with our kids, who ARE our most precious asset.
Comparing children to assets or other money is not always valid. After all, I generally leave my most valuable asset*, my house, unattended almost every day.
The Wolf
* Children are NOT assets. Yes, they are valuable, but they are not assets.
i think i posession, not asset.
my house is not so precious to me- it can be replaced if something were to happen.
if someone had millions of dollars worth of precious gems, wouldnt they take every precaution to make sure they were safe every second of every day? why are our children any different.
i am not saying that my children can be replaced monetarily. again, what i said is that if one would do x to make sure that nothing happened to a large sum of money, then it is common sense that one would go at least one step beyond that to make sure nothing happened to their kids.
i think i posession, not asset.
Kids aren’t possessions either.
my house is not so precious to me- it can be replaced if something were to happen.
Whether something can be replaced or not is not an indication of monetary value. Baby pictures can’t be replaced, but they aren’t partiuclarly valuable in the monetary sense.
if someone had millions of dollars worth of precious gems, wouldnt they take every precaution to make sure they were safe every second of every day? why are our children any different.
I understood your point, and did not necessarily disagree with it (see the pet peeve I just posted about). I was simply taking objection to the practice of referring to children as assets (or possessions).
The Wolf
I think what they are saying is that we should protect our children more because they are more important. -If we try to protect things that that don’t really matter, we should do much more with our kids who are more precious.
Thank you wolfishmusings for clarifying. That is plecisely what I meant.
(I don’t know if anyone mentioned this…)
Besides for leaving kids in cars, while driving, EVERYONE, kids AND ADULTS MUST wear a seat belt at all times. Everywhere and anywhere you go. Even if its 5 minutes, you don’t know which drunk driver is driving down the street in those 5 minutes.
“I’m gonna wear my seatbelt…seatbelts are for everyone!”
Lakewood Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein suggests, when traveling with your child in the back of the car, leave something of importance in the back of the car, like your wallet or pocketbook in the back seat so that when you leave the car. you will look for your wallet/pocketbook and “remember” your precious baby/child. (not his exact words)
“Children are NOT assets”
Your wrong. Children are the most valuable thing we have. How can you even think anyother way?
I copied this from the 5 Most Important Shidduch Questions thread. mariner wrote:
…in eretz yisroel, and some chassideshe places here in america, women who sit up front or in teh back that have cros chest belts will put that behind them, which is beyond dangerous. the belt is manufactured in a way so that it is only going to work if both lap adnd chest belts are secure. venishmartem meod lenofshoseichem is completely lost on these people The reason I copied this here is to warn people. The seatbelt may be uncomftable or “un-Tzniusdik (are you kidding me?), either way, you must wear a seatbelt and wear it PROPERLY. Would you use a dangerous tool when a safety feature is not woring properly? The same is true for a car and seatbelts. (And if you would play with that tool, go immediately to the nearest mental institution and no, not in a car!)
You come to the corner. The light is red. You look both ways. There is a car coming. You wait. The car passes. There is a car down the block. You run into the street and make it to the other side before the second car reaches the intersection. You continue on your way.
Standing on the first corner is a mother with two little children. The mother says to her little son, “Avi, tell Mommy when we can cross.” Avi and Mindy stare at that little hand waiting for that man to appear. Then a big man appears. YOU!
You looked both ways. Good
You waited for the car to pass. Good
You crossed on a red. Okay
You ran across the street. Okay
You made it to the other side alive. Lucky
YOU taught two little precious children that not waiting for the light AND not running through the street is okay.
Please watch your children while they are in the pool. Always empty or cover or lock up a pool while no one is around to watch it. Read this story. Its scary!
Just be careful with letting your kids play near the roads. Nebach we all remember what happened to that boy last summer. Kids must always be attended to and supervised. Dont let them go trail off on their own to explore. Always know where they are.
As someone who crossed the road one morning and DIDN’T look, I can assure you it’s not worth it. I spent long months recovering from being hit by a car (completely my fault).
Take that extra minute.
The drowning that took place R”L in Lawrence, was a horrible, horrible tragedy for the family, the baby, and the babysitter, who herself was the mother of three children. But we do not really know exactly what happened and why, so it is pointless to use that as example. ALL parents should be scrupulously careful with their children around a pool. And if a child is missing, the first place to run to is the nearest pool. May Hashem protect our precious children from further tragedy.
Also train your children not to run away from dogs. They will leave you alone if you ignore them or walk to the side. Running away from them makes them want to chase you. I heard of a story where a little girl ran into the street because of a dog and was nifteres.
This thread was all the way at the bottom of the main page.
I know the heat wave is almost over (I hope!), but this is good to read either way.
Doctor: Never Underestimate Dangers Of Heat
Along with the heat wave come some real health risks. But experts say symptoms of heat-related illness are not always easy to recognize. CBS 2 HD has what you need to look out for.
Some people like it hot, but the heat can be a very dangerous thing. Emergency room Dr. Tod Bania says heat stroke can kill.
It may start as heat exhaustion but can elevate into heat stroke, and Dr. Bania says victims are not always aware that they are in danger.
Other symptoms include high fever, hot, dry skin and rapid heartbeat. Bania said get the victim to a cool place and give fluids and call 911 if the symptoms persist.
He said the elderly and young are particularly susceptible, and so are those who exercise in the heat.
In fact, he advises not to exercise at all in the heat and to also stay away from alcohol.
Finally, those with chronic medical conditions such as asthma or diabetes are advised to be especially wary of the heat.
And experts say some medicines can impair the ability to sweat, which can also raise body temperatures to dangerous levels.
{WCBS/Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}
What type of weather kills more people than any other? Hurricanes? Tornadoes? Blizzards? Not even close, heat is the biggest killer by a huge margin.
I left a bottle of water in the car today (103 degree weather), and when I came back to the cat, just half an hour later, the bottle was so hot, I could have made a cup of tea with it, and could barely hold the bottle in my hand. Now think of leaving a child in that same heat, chas v’chalilah, even for “just a minute.” R”L.
When I searched the CR for “Heat Wave”, I saw this thread. Some real important advice. Take the time to read it. Or, in short: Bump™!
SiDi™
It’s okay to leave your children alone in the car with the windows open, the doors unlocked, and the keys in their hands as long as they’re adults.
+1 RebYidd23.
Based on the advice given by the posters above, I think we should wrap our kids and ourselves in bubble wrap, start IVs in all of us and never leave the house. C’mon people! Summer is the time for fun and adventure. A little common sense is what’s needed. Yeah, drink when your thirsty, bike carefully, don’t lock you kids or animals in a closed parked car for hours. You know, of all the “safety” tips handed out it seems to me the most important was left out. Teach your children to swim,(Chazal knew what they were about) and yourself if you don’t know how. Drown-proofing saves countless children and adults. Summer is the time for swimming either in a pool or a lake or the ocean. Of all common recreational activities, swimming is by far the most dangerous and results in the most child deaths(Okay, rock climbing and BASE jumping may be more dangerous but I said “common”). Ocean swimming is particularly dangerous. Never swim where there isn’t a lifeguard and don’t go in the water if he (or she) says not to.
One more safety tip. It is for all those who drive on country roads that they are clearly not familiar with.
Drive like a mench. You might be in a rush, but it is no excuse to tailgate, cut in and out of traffic and speed on dark country roads. Not only are you a danger to yourself, but you endanger everyone else on the road as well. Among the sullivan county locals, rt 17 is affectionately known as “the hasid 500”.
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