National Safety Month is in June

SUMMER!!! School’s out, the kids are home, the sun is shining – hopefully! It is time for swimming, beach vacations, and grilling. With the nicer weather and more free time, for the kids at least, also comes additional hazards, so start this summer off right! June is National Safety Month, so before summer activities get into full swing, have chat about how to stay safe!

How many times have you done something without thinking that resulted in an injury, even a minor one? Or been goofing off with friends and someone got hurt? We have all done things like accidentally trip over a root hiking or accidentally knocking a friend out of a boat with a paddle … ok, maybe that wasn’t an accident, but it was in good fun! Sure, the injury may be nothing more than a sprained ankle or a lump on the head, but there is always a possibility that innocent actions can have much more serious consequences. Not everyone can swim. A bad sunburn can lead to cancer. Grilling will inevitably lead to someone being burned. Texting while driving endangers everyone around you on the road.

All activities, summer or winter, come with inherent risks. Does this mean we should stay inside? No!  Of course not! God made the outdoors so that we could enjoy the beauty and marvel at His works. He also gave us a brain. So use it to make smart decisions when having fun.

When there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. (Proverbs 11:14, ESV)

Danger, taking risks, is a part of life. It does not mean we need to be reckless about it though!

Communicate to children the dangers. If you are doing a special activity, let them know of specific dangers. Make an action plan for if something should go wrong!  Encourage your children to come to you with any issues. If they think there is a danger, listen to them!

As part of National Safety Month, examine your behavior and actions. Is there something you do that could be putting yourself or others at risk? Commit to changing it! Is there an action from your friend that could be endangering him or herself or others around them? Speak up! Are you out having fun and notice a potentially dangerous situation or behavior? Find a way to make it safer! Accidents happen, but let’s do our part to help avoid them! Now get out there and have some fun!

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