Summer Safety Tips for Parents

Podcast Transcript

Dr. Richard So:

Welcome to Little Health, a Cleveland Clinic Children's podcast that helps navigate the complexities of child health one chapter at a time.

In each session, we'll explore a specific area of pediatric care and feature a new host with specialized expertise. We'll address parental concerns, answer questions, and offer guidance on raising healthy, happy children. Now, let's talk little health.

We all look forward to the summer months, the longer days, more time outside, and lots of fun in the sun. But as parents, it's completely normal to feel a little nervous, too. Between hot days at the pool, pesky sunburns in the heat, summer can bring some real safety concerns for kids. I'm Dr. Richard So, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children's. And today, we're talking about simple ways to keep your kids safe, healthy, and happy all summer long. Joining me today is Dr. Shannon Thompson, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children's.

Welcome back to Little Health. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you practice.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Thank you. I'm so glad to be back. I'm Dr. Thompson. I am a pediatrician that practices down in Akron for the Cleveland Clinic Children's. I am also a mom of two, three, and five, so we are excited for the summer and waiting to get out there and see all of the things.

Dr. Richard So:

Wow, you got little ones.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yes, I sure do. Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

I think this conversation will be great because I got, I got teenagers now. My youngest graduated grade school is gonna be high school in next year.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Oh, congratulations.

Dr. Richard So:

So with, with summer coming up, you know, growing up, you know, it was all about the memories, the laughing, the exploring and the adventure, but now as parents, we're scared. We don't want that $400 copay to the ER, medical bills, you know, long lines. Let's start with like heat illness and, and like hydration. What do you think the biggest heat-related risk for kids are during the summer and how the parents can tell the difference between what's normal, like cranky versus something a little bit more serious?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. I think that's a great place to start a great question. Heat stress can be a big thing for our little ones in the summer and our big ones, especially the ones playing sports. I think the biggest concern is dehydration or not getting enough fluids, which is common because they don't love to drink. If a kid always a little bit behind on fluids, they might be a little nauseous, a little tired, a little like lightheaded. But if it's a serious, you know, heat illness or heat exhaustion, you're going to notice their body temperatures going up, their skin may be clammy, they may be confused, not getting better with hydration and rest. Those are some kind of red flags that I would look for.

Dr. Richard So:

Water.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

I would say water, you know? Certainly there's a place for electrolyte replacement in big sporting events, active athletes, but for most part, water for kids is what they need.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. I, as a sports medicine specialist, you know, number one parents and pediatricians out there is that I think the red flag is like what everybody reads about is heat stroke. You know, when you do a lot about the research on heat stroke, there's a common denominator. And believe it or not, even though that kid's dehydrated, they get real bad headaches, they look a little bit confused and a red flag is vomiting. If they're vomiting, you know, something more is going wrong and you need to cool that kid down, ice bath, splash the cooler on them. The athletic trainers at our high schools are very well versed on this one. But if the kid's playing like in a tournament like baseball, soccer, where you got maybe a two or three hour day, sometimes during the game I like water, but be- maybe between the games you can do a litle bit of electrolyte replacement.

The kids that I'm always worried about, like my daughter, Savannah, she was beach volleyball and she was a cramper. Mm-hmm. All right? So sometimes prevention on those known crampers where they're on the football field and the calves, what you can do is you can do ... There's actually some like salt tablets or even some gels with some concentrated electrolytes that might help prevent it and you can also treat that. One time she was even at a tournament, they just went to the bar and grabbed the pickle juice. She drank that and she was better in like two minutes.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. That salty pickle juice will do it.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So yes, beach volleyball, going to the beach, all right, sunscreen. What's the deal? What's the latest?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

There's a lot, there's always a lot of latest in pediatrics, but I think mineral based sunscreen is kind of what we're looking at these days and creams or lotions are better. So sprays are easier.

Dr. Richard So:

What age?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Uh, I would say any age, you

Dr. Richard So:

Know. Uh, I like age eight. Age eight. 'Cause I think they're, that's when they consistently hold their breath. I don't want my little kid- Oh, I

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Understand. Yes.

Dr. Richard So:

I don't like my little kid inhaling all those chemicals.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Completely agree. The other thing I worry about is just incomplete coverage, right, with the sprays because they're, they're nice, but if you miss a spot-

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah, you get sunburned.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Right, right yeah and- And I agree.

Dr. Richard So:

And a good start, you know, is that we're, we're starting the summer is that number one, check your expiration date. Sunscreen is not the time to cut corners. I had an Irish family on spring break look like lobsters in Mexico. That's not a good thing. And then what about SPF?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

At least 30. Higher is probably better. So 45, 50, you can do better with those higher numbers.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. I do a little bit higher on my kid's face-

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Absolutely.

Dr. Richard So:

... you know, on that one because the thing is, is that once your kid gets sunburned, you've ... Remember, we're, why are we wearing ... It's not for the sunburn, it's prevention of skin cancer. They show that if you've got really bad sunburn, even second degree, you've increases your child's skin cancer by 1%. That's a lot in a lifetime, right? Especially at such a young age. And personally, like what I've learned from the dermatologist, it's not always about the number, like what the sun protection factor is. It's actually how often you reapply.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Right. That's absolutely true because I think we get busy and having fun and forget to reapply. Every two hours minimum, more than that if you can, you know, to keep them covered and keep them protected when you're out playing, sweating, swimming.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. Even coming out of the water, you know, when they take their break with swimming, what's the whole point of that? Uh, you'll get cramps and you gotta wait 30 minutes. Is that real?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. Yes and no. I guess certainly if you're well hydrated, that's unlikely to happen. You know, if you eat a big heavy meal and are tired maybe, but I think as long as, you know, there's a close eye on the kids and you're comfortable watching, they can get back in the water and get started sooner than that.

Dr. Richard So:

I think it's just because so parents didn't have to be so on alert. So let's just go roll right into swimming. What do you recommend in your practice?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

As far as safety. Yes. Um, always be present. You know, it's easy to get distracted, it's easy to look down, always be present when your kids are in the pool, either with them, right next to them, your little ones need their life jackets, age appropriate, whatever that-

Dr. Richard So:

Coast guard approved.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Correct. Yep, absolutely.

Dr. Richard So:

Not the little puddle jumpers- Right, exactly. ... you know, that you have on your arms.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Right. Yeah. And checking the weight's important too, because sometimes we put them in the little, the things that are not quite appropriate for them if they're too small or too big.

Dr. Richard So:

You know, I was even at one of our local water parks and my kid was 18 months and I had multiple kids that I had to watch and you have to keep an eye on them because my little toddler, yes, I was in mid-shin deep water and I was watching the two big kids go down the slides and I've had a false sense of security that my kid, my toddler was right behind me, I mean, with an arm's reach, he fell forward. Mm-hmm. So he was floating and he couldn't push off the ground. The kid, lifeguard came up to me, saved my kid and he, he looked at me really mean. He goes, "Watch your kid, Mister" And I'm like, was so embarrassed, hopefully there were no parents watching me that the pediatrician got scolded by the lifeguard. So there is a false sense of security.

Usually when the drowning happens, it's at a big place. There's a party. What we usually do, at least my wife and I, Melanie, she's great, is that, or even if your closest friends, you have a designated sober adult who's supposed to be watching the kids, you know, and supervise. And it just doesn't include the pool. It could be a bucket. Mm-hmm. It could be a cooler filled with ice, especially when there's toddlers around.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Mm-hmm. Uh, that's a really good point too. And one that, you know, you, growing up, my dad used to stress is, it doesn't have to be a lot of water. One thing we learned from one of our swim instructors that I thought was really interesting and important is try to wear bright colored swimming suits. Blue swimming suits, you know, kind of those pale swimming suits can blend in and not be as easy to see your kiddos if, especially if something goes wrong.

Dr. Richard So:

I got it. When do you recommend swimming lessons?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

As soon as they're big enough, as soon as you're ready. So my kids started at six months. They were pretty little- Wow. ... for Mommy and Me. Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

That's like those videos, you know, that you watch on TV where the baby rolls over and goes, "Ma," and all of a sudden this, all this music plays and it sounds great." The Amer Acad of Pediatrics says four, okay? Or earlier if you have a pool, a pond or even a boat, you know? Those are the times when you should do that. You know, I like the bright colored swimsuits. That's a, that's a good idea.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

I, it's something I hadn't thought of before she mentioned it.

Dr. Richard So:

Also summertime, bug sprays. Which ones do you recommend? Why?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Another one that's tricky because of the inhalation with your little ones, you know, so if it's a spray that the chemicals can get in, the first thing I would start with is, is your physical protection, long pants, socks, things like that.

Dr. Richard So:

Especially if you're hiking.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Right, exactly. And then anything, check the label for age approval. You know, DET is best, but sometimes it's not appropriate for our tiny ones.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. I, I, I like the DEET because everyone's like, "Oh, I'm afraid of the chemicals." No, you and I are afraid about Lyme disease, you know? And if you go on the CDC website in Northeast Ohio, the prevalence of Lyme disease is very, very, very, very low. It's like 0.01%, you know, with a tick bite. You know, we're getting a lot of calls with tick bites. Somewhere in like Mid-Eastern Ohio, I looked at it, it's a, it's a little bit higher, but like in our area, very, very rare. What do you tell parents to look out for? What does your office say?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

For tick bites? Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

Yes. Or how do you even remove them?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

W- removal, I recommend, you know, pair of tweezers, pull on the back, pull it straight out.

Dr. Richard So:

Pull on the head, not on the body?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Correct.

Dr. Richard So:

Yes.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yes. Thank you. And if you notice the tick is attached to your child, if you, if it's been less than 24 hours, the risk is lower. If you don't know, always reach out to us. You can send us a picture of the tick, look out for a rash, especially a bullseye red circular rash around the area or otherwise. Those are the big things to start with.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah, I like that. Yeah. If your kid gets bit by a tick and you've traveled to the East Coast, sometimes just call your pediatrician's office, set up a virtual visit. You know, we have those at Cleveland Clinic Children's and sometimes a prophylactic antibiotic can be prescribed in those types of situations.

Summertime, you know, I'm decluttering and I wanna do the garage. The kids, their bikes, you know, they're covered with dust, cobwebs. What do you recommend with bikes, helmets?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Bike safety is a big one. And I think that we're doing really well with that in the, you know, past few years. A lot of kids are interested in putting on their helmets right away. Always a helmet, you know, you have to protect that head and a, and a good fitting helmet. Yeah. One that fits around, you know, hasn't been in a crash.

Dr. Richard So:

Yes. Bike helmets, they are made like out of like compressed Styrofoam, so it's a one compression accident. So you do need to get another one. And remember, when your bike helmet fits, I see the chin strap loose and the helmets riding, uh, above the forehead up on top of your, basically on top of the middle of your scalp.

It should be about two finger breaths above your child's eyebrows and you should not be able to shake it forward or sideways. Like it should be snug and they all complain about the chin strap. "Oh, I can't breathe. I can't breathe." I go, "Yes, you can." It's almost like the infant car seat. You should be able to slide two fingers in on there. And there's a lot of kids, "Well, I'm the best bike rider. I don't need a helmet." What do you say to them?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Accidents can happen to anyone, you know, even professionals, big, you know, grownups. So everybody needs a helmet no matter how good.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. Same. And I always like, when, when the X games are on ESPN, I say, "Look, or the Tour de France, like the professionals wear it." I like to be positive and I always agree with the kid. I go, "Yes, you are the best bike rider on our cul-de-sac, but I'm not worried about you. I'm worried about the kid who's learning how to drive or the person who's texting and driving. That's the why you have to wear the helmet and then maybe they'll do it." You know, and then right now, e-bikes, they're everywhere. Huge. They're going fast. I had a kid- ugh. Any recommendations on e-bikes?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

That's a loaded question almost because-

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah, you have little kids.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yes, I do.

Dr. Richard So:

I had an 11-year-old, okay, Cleveland Clinic doctor's kid came in, broke both wrists.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Uh-huh. I just had one too.

Dr. Richard So:

So I think when we're pulling the bikes out of the garage, I think one of the good things that we should do is tell the kids to go slow at first. You know, get your bearings, all right? Yeah. Is what you should do. And with the e-bikes, there's certain modes where you can control the max speed on those. I would definitely turn those on in the beginning. Right. You know? And you just tell them too. And also too, the bigger kids, they're riding at night. I love your clothing thing, wear bright clothes at night. Mm-hmm. If you have something with a little bit of reflector on them even better.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Mm-hmm. My oldest just got a big girl bike and she tells everyone it has a reflector on the back. So she's very proud of that. So you can always put a little sticky reflector on there too to, you know, get that light out.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. I like, I like those little m- like governors or the speed controls on them. Those, those kids do not need to be going that fast.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Especially on a big road

Dr. Richard So:

Or even a little road. And they're even little motorbikes now. They look like mini bikes, but, and those things go 30 miles an hour. No kid without protection should be riding that.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Absolutely.

Dr. Richard So:

Playgrounds.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. Fun. I feel like a helicopter parent at playgrounds because everything's high, everything's slippery. There's all kinds of other kids. Just like with the bikes, I worry about what are those other kids doing almost more than my own. Close supervision, you know, it's tempting to sit on a bench and watch, you know, and...

Dr. Richard So:

Surf your phone.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. No, no. It's tempting. Keep an eye on your kids, make sure they're on age appropriate playground equipment because sometimes they have-

Dr. Richard So:

The big kids go to the little ones.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yep. Yep.

Dr. Richard So:

What do you do? Do you just kick them out and just say, "Hey," how would you politely say that?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

That's a hard one and we've run into that before, you know? Sometimes I'll just sort of head over to the swings and, you know, say Emma or whoever might like a turn, can we have the next turn? That us- that's usually enough, you know, for the big kids to be like, "Oh, we can give some space." If it's something that they're not ready, I try to find something else to do because I don't wanna cause a problem with another kid.

Dr. Richard So:

So with your little kids, like, swings aren't necessarily the safest things. They seem harmless. Slides? What do you tell your kids? Like I tell them, like, I say watch. You don't cross this line, you're gonna get kicked.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

They've learned that from a young age. They still do it sometimes. But kids-

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. That's why you have to watch your kids at the playground.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. Yep.

Dr. Richard So:

Especially you got the younger ones.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Right, right. And not without an adult.

Dr. Richard So:

What about climbing up the slide going up?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Uh, never. Sorry. I shouldn't say it like that.

Dr. Richard So:

Head First-

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Uh, go down the slide the way you're supposed to. Feet first, don't climb up it because that's, that's a very common thing that kids do, but it's more dangerous.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. The first thing I did when my kids were a slide is I checked if it was hot.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Oh, good point. Yeah. Those, especially those older playgrounds, Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. And I checked if, like, even before I leave home, you could prevent a slide injury to make sure your kid doesn't have a t-shirt with, like, an iron on that sticky, because they might go down head first down that slide. Then you gotta go visit the dentist.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. Yep. That's another good point. There's a lot to think about.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. And with monkey bars- Ugh. Here, here's a good general rule is that you get two tries unless your kid's a gymnast, okay? Because what happens is there's that fear that I'm not good enough. I can't perform enough in these children and I gotta do it, I do it. But if you didn't get it twice, you're gona crack your wrist or your forearm on the third try.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

I think that's good.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. That, that's the, that's exactly what happens.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Your time's the charm only the opposite.

Dr. Richard So:

When we had those really nice days in, like, February, oh, we had six kids, broken wrist because they're out of shape. All right, they're not there, but it was always on the third try. Yeah, summertime. Love it. Building those memories, going on vacation. But even 4th of July, it's a big one this year. It is. 250 years.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

It is. It's a lot of excitement. A lot of excitement.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. What are you worried about?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

The first thing that comes to mind is fireworks, especially home fireworks. You know, people in their backyards and on the street, you know, for kids, it's just hands off.

Dr. Richard So:

I looked at the data. It's 1,500 to 3,000 emergency room visits due to firework burns. You know, in the Philippines, believe it or not, like when they have their fireworks days, it's like, yeah, in the emergency rooms, like, it's like little undeveloped healthcare. They have buckets for fingers because of that. Toddler burns, you know, these kids barely know right from wrong, okay? And those are bright things. And they wanna touch them and they look so much fun. So couple things with if you have little kids with sparklers. I tell them to keep their elbow straight when you're doing it. Don't bend your elbow. If you're gona do it, you have to keep your elbow straight. That keeps the distance from getting burned. But then they run into each other. So you have to keep distance from each other.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

The other thing I would ... Watch your clothing. You know, no big long sweat shirts.

Dr. Richard So:

Oh i like that.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

I actually, my sister got a sparkler up her sleeve when we were little for the same reason and, you know, my dad sort of jumped over the deck like the hulk and took it off, but watch your clothing with those things too.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. And then they wanna run.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yes. 'Cause it's fun, right? It looks like-

Dr. Richard So:

They wanna run.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

If you have a little kid too, what you can do, hold it in your hand and let your kid hold your wrist and then let him control your arm. But then just being little boys, what do little boys do you wanna do? They wanna play swords. You know? Even like when they wanna throw them when there's like an inch left.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yes. Yeah. Like a burning arrow or something. Yeah. And just kind of again, hands on, close watching, you know, making sure that you're in control of the situation- Yeah. ... and not distracted.

Dr. Richard So:

Even when they're done the sparkles are all gone, that is when a lot of the kids get burned. So a lot of people have a bucket with water, whether you can throw those in so you don't have to worry about that. Those are also sharp objects too, so you gotta do those. Or even like a bucket of sand. You know, those are some things or some ... I have some people use like their citronella candles that they have under there. Just push it in there. That'll keep that away. July 4th, it's a big thing, hydration.

Here's a big tip I have for parents. You have little kids. So everyone wants to go watch a fireworks. There's hundreds, if not thousands of people there. My wife is really good again.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

She buys like glow sticks, glow bracelets, glow everything because once the fireworks over, you're worried you're gona lose your kid because everybody stands up and goes around at the same time.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Richard So:

You know?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yep.

Dr. Richard So:

So you like that idea?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

I do, yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. And they, even they have clothes that have little, you know, glow in the dark things. And, you know, the kid, my kids love that. They love the glow in the dark.

Dr. Richard So:

They all love it.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

You know? Like, they make necklaces together.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Uh-huh.

Dr. Richard So:

It's bonding. And they'll remember. But we do that for a lot of things like even if we're going to Blossom Music Center-

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Right. That's another crowded place.

Dr. Richard So:

We do that.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. And then you're walking home. What about ... Okay, so those are the little kids, little bit of older kids. You're traveling now, cruises, airports, you're going to foreign cities. What age do you think kids should be appropriate to cross the street?

Dr. Richard So:

And ride their bikes far.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

That, that's an, that's another one that's important is, is, especially if they're independent, bigger kids, we have to keep remembering that street safety. You know, you have to either have a grown up looking both ways, safe crossing, not crossing in the middle of the road.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. I think it's 10 years old in my practice is what I say, because fourth graders in New York City, 10 years old, are crossing every major road and riding the subway to school. You know, but we're just in our suburban bubbles here, you know, but we teach them and I teach the kids, "Hey, don't look at the car. Look at the driver's eyes."

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Make sure they're looking at you. Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

'Cause if they're not looking at you, what are they doing?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

They're something else,

Dr. Richard So:

Right? They're, they're texting. They're on their phone. And I tell them, like, when daddy and mommy cross the road, okay, is that we're preparing to jump out of the way. We're defensively crossing the road. Even if it says walk and it's green, you're watching for that person who's, who's texting and driving.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Right. I, I think that's good advice. Look at the eyes instead of just the car. Yep.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. And another thing too is that we're gonna be at the beach. We're gonna be at beaches. We're gonna be at Cedar Point. We're going to new cities. Here's a new one that I read is that if you're going to, like, an airport or you're going to, like, the beach or something, take a picture of the kid in the clothes that they're wearing in case they get lost. So if I show my kids that, "Hey, this is the police man. This is the lifeguard. You get lost. You can ... These are the safe people."

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Right. Teach them early to look for helpers, who the helpers might be and also where they should go, you know? And like-

Dr. Richard So:

A secret meeting place if you get lost.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Exactly. Or, you know, stay right where they are because if we're all walking around, it's hard to find.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. And safety town is coming up. All right. Yeah. And there's a new trend. It's not strange or danger anymore. It's we, I, we teach the kids tricky people because some, the studies have shown that the PERP is someone you know. So it's, you're not teaching safety based on familiarity anymore. You're teaching your kid to have that gut feeling that this person is tricky so if it doesn't feel right, it's not and to speak up.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Right. And I think that's, that's just, you know, good biology. We all have that feeling. So teaching them early to listen to it is, is a, is a really good way to help your kids prepare for the future and any unsafe situation.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. I also, like, I learned this from, like, my cousin in New York City. Do you know the mommy code in New York or the mommy code? So if your child gets lost, okay, remember our job as parents, yeah, there's a lot of fear, okay? But our job is to teach our children to be confident in those types of situations. So the New York City it's called the Mommy Code. If you get lost, say you're at the beach, there's no policemen. A lot of times there's no lifeguard. It, the mommy code is that if you get lost, you can ask help from another mommy with little kids.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

I like that. I like that. Look for an obvious mommy because any mom in the world would be, you know, bending over backwards to help.

Dr. Richard So:

Yep. Because the mommy code is, is if my kid was lost, I have to help. I, I wish some other mommy would help my kid. And I would tell my kids, hold on, let me help this kid find their mommy, because if you get lost, I hope they would bring you to me.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. I like that. That's, yeah. That's something that I'll definitely pass along to my kids as they get bigger and, you know, more independent.

Dr. Richard So:

And tricky people, four years old, kids need to know their first name and their last name. And they should know mommy's first name because that's the age where they get a little bit more independent and they'll wander from you when you're in, at the store. Someone finds them, they gotta be able to find you.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

I think as early as you can teach them.

Dr. Richard So:

Is your five-year-old going to kindergarten?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

She is. Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

So what, what, what are you reviewing so she aces safety town?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

So she knows her first name, her last name, her address, my name and my phone number.

Dr. Richard So:

I think phone number is more important than address these days.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah, I agree. A phone number is tricky too because a lot of us don't know phone numbers anymore because everything's in our cell phone. So she's memorizing those things. We're going over street safety.

Dr. Richard So:

I have a little secret, uh- Okay. ... on how, how to get your kid to memorize your phone number. For those people who, you know, their kids use electronics, there's a lot who don't. And I applaud you. You have to do it the old way. You have to sing the song and memorize it. And there's a cadence to memorizing your phone number, but what I learned from my wife again, Melanie, she's great.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

She should write a book for us.

Dr. Richard So:

I- is that, is that she changed passcodes to the iPads and our phones to her phone number. Oh, yeah. 'Cause the kids know four.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

But they can know seven and you always say that your, your passcode to your iPad or your tablet or, or mommy's phone is mommy's phone number.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

That's a good one.

Dr. Richard So:

So guarantee you they'll learn it in 48 hours. Yeah, right.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Probably

Dr. Richard So:

Less. That's the quickest, fastest way.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. Yeah.

Dr. Richard So:

So you're in public too. Your kid's not there, but at eight years old, your kids can't go to the adult bathrooms. Any bathroom tips, any safety tips? So now your kids go to the bathroom by themselves. It's a nightmare. Parents are afraid.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

I don't because I have girls so we always go together.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah, that's exactly right. Yeah. But if you have boys- Right. ... you go to Target. So...

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yeah. Yeah. I don't know what to say.

Dr. Richard So:

So yeah. So I teach my kid for the dads out there or the moms out there, I, I teach my son every other stall. You gotta do that. No talking. Here's an important for boys and girls. If you go to a public restroom, nobody should be talking on their cell phone in the bathroom. If you see someone talking on the cell phone in the bathroom, hold it, hopefully you can and then just go tell mommy, "Hey, mommy, you told me no one should be talking on their cell phone in the bathroom. I just wanted to wait." The best thing you could do is in those types of situation, if there's a family bathroom, use the family bathroom.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

I think most places have family bathrooms these days, you know, unless it's like a fair or you know, someplace where there might not be. So I think those are, those are interesting tips.

Dr. Richard So:

Well, got one more for big kids.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Okay.

Dr. Richard So:

Cutting the grass.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Oh, okay. Yes. Um, age?

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah, sure.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

12.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah, that's what the American Acad of Pediatrics says, 12. Yes.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Okay 12.

Dr. Richard So:

And that's like snowblowers and lawnmowers, you know, those type. But would they need protection?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Oh yeah, definitely eye protection, ear protection. So goggles that cover their sides, shoes, full shoes, no flip flops and that any adults should be doing that too.

Dr. Richard So:

And no earbuds.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Ear protection.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah, but no earbuds.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Right.

Dr. Richard So:

You can't have the compounded music on top of the motor.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Right. Yep. Full ear protection without buds.

Dr. Richard So:

Question like I haven't thought about yet is that, okay, maybe the, the electric lawnmowers, they're not, I don't know if they're allowed or not, but can you wear earbuds on that? Are those quiet? I don't have one. But I don't think- I probably wouldn't, but yeah, ear protection. Yeah. Definitely eye protection. All right. And foot protection would be, would be part of it.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yep. And sun protection, of course, if they're gonna be out there for a while.

Dr. Richard So:

And bugs, ticks.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Richard So:

That's it. What else do you have on your list for, for safety stuff?

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

One thing that I, I think we hear about every summer is car safety and leaving children in the car. Is it okay for a short time? Is it not okay? I think that's something every summer we see a news story about and I, the, the short answer is no, it's never okay. Even on a mild day, you know, the temperature in a car can raise 20 degrees, you know, quickly and it can be up over 100, 20, 140 in an hour. So that can become a dangerous, even fatal situation quickly.

Dr. Richard So:

Yeah. Uh, I'm driving like a newer car now and it says check your rear seats.

Dr. Shannon Thompson:

Yes, mine does too. Yep. It's tempting when you're going in and out of summer quick, but it's just, it's never a good idea.

Dr. Richard So:

It was great having you today, you know, just, it's so exciting to be talking about summer.

Summer should be a time for fun, laughter, and making memories. And with a few simple precautions, it absolutely can be. If you would like to schedule an appointment with a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children's, please call 216.444.KIDS. That's 216.444.5437.

Thanks for listening to Little Health. We hope you enjoyed this episode. To keep the little health tips coming, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or visit clevelandclinicchildrens.org/littlehealth.