Child Safety Tips for Vacationing with Kids

Heading for a beach or vacation destination with children this summer? It is always a great time, but it's also important to be aware of the dangers involved. Accidents can happen anywhere, and vacations can pose new risks that parents sometimes aren't prepared for.

For the youngest children and babies, staying in a hotel and condo often means living in a space that, unlike home, is not baby-proofed. There are typically no safety plugs on electrical outlets, gates near stairways, or bumpers on table corners. If your child is a toddler, or even just starting to move, it is a good idea to baby proof this temporary space as much as possible. Quickly try to look for choking hazards; dangling curtain, blind, or electrical cords; poisons in bathrooms or kitchen areas, or other dangers you would remove in your own home. Bring your own safety products, such as outlet plugs or toilet lid locks. Make sure children cannot access pool areas without supervision.

When venturing outdoors, busy travel destinations can pose many risks. In crowds children have the risk of becoming lost, wandering off, or even being abducted.

Busy and curious toddlers can be a handful in public places. They often don't want the confines of a stroller or the short radius of movement from holding your hand. If your toddler refuses to be pushed in a stroller, try keeping them secure with a harness, such as the Eddie Bauer Harness Buddy. It appears like a stuffed animal-style backpack that clips around the back and chest, but with a long "tail" that a parent can hold. Other wrist-style straps are available. Many adults feel these straps appear too leash-like, but keeping a busy toddler from becoming lost in a crowd is much more important than how it might appear.

For older children, who are capable of understanding instruction, it is important to have a meet-up point if you become separated in a crowd. Always have the same meet-up point, and make sure it is an area that is well-lit at night that is not desolate.