Safety tips this holiday season

The end of year is finally here! For families with small children the chance to take a break from the immense challenges of working and parenting seems like a lifesaver.

Of course, this time holds its own challenges. Keeping said small humans busy at home is one of them. So are the risks of something going wrong and putting a damper on this holiday period. Staying safe should always be a focus.

All South Africans are well-practiced in the common safety practices like locking your car, not driving in high-risk areas at night, dodging potholes and not carrying cash. Below are five safety tips especially for families of small children that you may want to keep in mind.

Travelling with care

Travelling long distances with small children in the car is a story of its own. Parents are often tempted to make a long drive in one go, as holidays are significantly shortened if you take two days to just get there. Sleeping over on the way also adds expenses. Keep the following in mind:

Driving through the night on South African roads with potholes, stray animals, drunk pedestrians, spike incidents and other drivers who bought their licenses is truly not the greatest idea. Try to stick to day-time hours.
Children who become tired and irritated makes driving and concentrating difficult. Work in regular stops for them to burn some energy. Research safe stops with play areas on your route and consider making reservations as these can be very busy on certain days.
Pack some low-GI snacks (they are quiet when chewing, even though your backseat will look like a tacos bar). Be careful not to sugar-high them either.
Have an emergency kit with wet-wipes and basic medicines at hand. You don’t want to dig through all your luggage to find paracetamol syrup or an antihistamine cream.

Be sun-smart

We all know this but be sure to constantly apply sunscreen and to avoid sun-exposure over the heat of the day. Trying to wrestle a toddler who is also slippery and sticky and crying because the sunscreen got in their eyes is no small feat. But it is better than sitting with sunburn and heat exhaustion. Besides, how else will you get the sea-sand to stick absolutely everywhere? Have some after-sun lotion at hand as your best attempts may still not be enough.

Watch your mouth

And with this I mean what you put in it. Over-indulgence is a holiday sin. South Africans love eating. But binging on foods that you may not usually eat is never the greatest idea. Nothing to improve that car ride like a puke because of too much sweets/chips/whatever.

Having more alcohol than usual is of course also a risk, as you are relaxing. But be sure to avoid alcohol while driving or swimming.

Make a list of emergency contacts

If you are going to be away from home, do some research and make sure that you know where the closest hospital is, as well as who your medical aids’ network doctors are in the area.

A number to always have at hand is that of the Tygerberg Poison Hotline (086 155 5777), a wonderful 24-hour service that anyone can phone if they suspect poisoning or medication overdose.

Invest in your medicine kit

Make sure that you have something in there for all the common conditions – nausea and vomiting, pain and fever, allergic reactions, something in their eyes, scrapes and bruises, and of course diarrhoea. Smaller towns often don’t have the 24hour facilities that you may be used to when living in the city.

There you go! Have a festive season, stay safe, bear with all the family drama and recharge to start Januarie with some fresh energy and enthusiasm – those lunchboxes are not going to pack themselves!