Friday, July 6, 2018

10 Ways To Keep Your Child Safe At An Amusement Park

Follow these 10 ways to keep your child safe riding on a child ride and you will be able to enjoy the day instead of worrying!  I recently visited a large amusement park and easily incorporated these 10 things!

Ah, the joys of summer!  Freedom, kids home and a schedule free enough to actually have some fun!
For many families, one of the best ways to have fun is to visit an amusement park!  In fact, that’s a year-round way to have fun.

But with young children, it is easy to let the worry of their safety in such a large, unfamiliar place take over the idea of fun.
This past weekend, I visited North Carolina’s biggest amusement park, Carowinds. This place was a favorite of mine growing up (I’m a NC native) and this was the first time my girls would be experiencing it.  I wanted to be able and enjoy those happy moments so I used these 10 ways to keep your child safe at an amusement park and we all had a fabulous time!

1.       Lather them up with sunscreen!  And then REAPPLY it at least every two hours.  This is especially true in the summer but honestly it is important all year round.  Kids’ delicate skin is like a moth to a flame when it comes to brutal sunburns.  I love Coppertone Kids lotion because it doesn’t have that chemical smell to it and it’s not an aerosol.  So it goes on smoother and more even.

2.  Remember there is strength in numbers.  In a crowded amusement park, I find the ride for adults per kids, the better!  When we went to Carowinds, I went with one of my best friends in the whole world, Becky.  It was great having 4 parents to watch out for our brood!
3.  Write your phone number on your child’s arm – My girls are 3 and 6 and neither knows my cell phone number perfectly.  And I’m sure a lot of kids who do know your cell number could easily get nervous if separated from you and forget it!  So before we left before the park, I used a permanent sharpie and wrote my number on their arms.  Checked that off my list!
10 Ways To Keep Your Child Safe At An Amusement Park


4.  Keep them hydrated! – 90 degree temperatures or 70 degrees, children easily get distracted with all of the fun they are having and can forget to drink plenty of water.  I loved the new policy Carowinds had – You could get free cups of ice water at ANY snack stand or restaurant within the park.  How awesome is that?!
5. Be mindful of clothing choices – I recommend you either dress your children in super bright clothes or matching outfits. I went with matching outfits while my friend chose bright orange shirts.  Either works great so you can easily spot your kids together!

6.  Review with you children what they should do if they become separated from you.  I didn’t want to scare my girls but I wanted to review our protocol should they become lost.  Our rule is if you get lost (anywhere really) to look for a Mommy.
I know some parents tell their kids to look for a person in uniform but sometimes this could only end up sending them to someone in a work outfit (not a police officer for ex).  And while it is stereotyping, statistics show that most abductions and offenses against children happen at the hands of a man.  So my girls know to look for a mommy with children and tell them they are lost.

7.  You be the judge as to if a ride is safe for your child – There were definitely some thrilling rides at Carowinds and my above average tall 6 year old qualified for a LOT of them.  But there were some rides and water slides I told her were off limits.  I thought they would be too jerky or too dangerous for her precious little body.  Period.
8.  Keep a well-stocked First Aid Kit with you – Yes, there are stations around the park that will have these but there is nothing like having the supplies on hand if and when a boo-boo strikes.  Be sure to check out this POST for six Non-First Aid items you should be including in your First Aid Kit!


9.  Accompany your child to the restroom – For me this is still an integral part of my day out with either of my girls.  But I know that as our kids get older…7, 8, 9…we start to give them more autonomy and going to the bathroom alone is one such example.  Well my advice is to retract that freedom just for your time in the amusement park. So many things can go badly, getting lost being the least bad, so either go in the bathroom with your child or stand right outside the door.

10.  Take a picture with your cell phone of your kids THAT morning. In the event that your child gets separated from you at the park, that recent picture showing exactly what he/she is wearing will be invaluable to everyone looking for your child.  Under that kind of stress, it is highly likely you won’t remember even the color shirt they have on.  I suggest taking the picture with them standing up so it’s easy to visually see their height.

I hope these 10 ways to keep your child safe at an amusement park are helpful!  Have a blast when you go and relax knowing your child is safe!


Source:http://www.thecolemines.com/10-ways-to-keep-your-child-safe-at-an-amusement-park/ 

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