Any time that kids are near water, it can be a source of fear for parents. Before you ban your children from swimming next summer, you should talk to them about water safety. Basic water safety measures will help prevent accidental injuries and deaths during the summer months. It’s never too soon to discuss water safety with kids. 

Risks of Pools and Hot Tubs to Children

There are a few reasons that hot tubs and pools are dangerous to children. The following list is a few risks that hot tubs and pools pose to children:

• Drowning: All bodies of water—both large and small—can pose a risk of drowning for small children.
• Falling: When children run, climb, or play near pools and hot tubs, it can be very easy for them to slip and fall into the water. As they fall, children can hurt themselves or be knocked unconscious, both of which could lead to drowning.
• Jet and Drain Injuries: The jets in hot tubs and the drains in both hot tubs and pools can lead to injuries. A child’s hair or fingers can be caught in jets and drains and lead to significant injuries.
• Overheating: Hot tubs are often set at temperatures that can cause hyperthermia in small children. The time kids are allowed to be in hot tubs should be strictly monitored to prevent both overheating and dehydration.

How Can You Keep Your Kids Safe?

There will always be risks associated with children near any body of water. It is important that you take safety precautions as a parent to prevent incidents from happening in the first place. Here are a few tips for keeping kids safe near pools and hot tubs:

Baby and Toddler Safety

Babies and toddlers should never be allowed in hot tubs, as they are more susceptible to the heat. Children that are this young should always be supervised when they are near pools, and floatation devices should always be used. You should only allow children who can stand on the bottom with their heads completely out of the water to enter a hot tub. Toddlers and young children should only be allowed in hot tubs for five minutes at a time.

Teach Your Children About Water Safety

Before you ever bring your children near pools or hot tubs, you should teach them basic safety near water. Go over any rules you want to implement and explain to your children why it is important that the rules are followed. Much like the ones that are in place at public pools, these rules can prevent accidents and injuries at your home. You don’t want to scare your children, but they do need to understand the dangers of hot tubs and pools.

Cover Pools and Hot Tubs When Possible

When not in use, keep pools and hot tubs covered to prevent the above accidents from happening. If your children are going to be using the hot tub or swimming in the pool, they should be supervised by an adult. Unfortunately, some large swimming pools may be impossible to cover, but this means that you should always supervise your children when they are near the pool.

If possible, lock the covers you have on your hot tub and pool to prevent children from being able to pull them off and access the water while you aren’t around. If you do not have a hot tub cover there are several places from which you can order one online. There several brands and styles to choose from which can complicate the process. If you’re not sure where to start I recommend Spa Mate. They have been in business in 1979 and have built covers to fit every style of hot tub ever made. This makes them one of the best options when you’re looking to replace your hot tub cover.

Supervise Your Children Near Pools and Hot Tubs

Children should be monitored when playing in or near a pool or hot tub. There is always a risk of injury or drowning near pools and hot tubs, and one of the best ways to prevent these accidents is to watch children when they are near pools and hot tubs. If you own a pool or hot tub, you may want to learn CPR, just in case there is an accident. When supervising children near the pool or hot tub, keep a phone nearby, so you can quickly call for help in the event of an emergency.

Drop the Hot Tub Temperature

Hot tubs can reach temperatures of 104°F, and small children are sensitive to high temperatures. If you are going to let your children take a soak in the hot tub, you should drop the temperature to a more comfortable 95°F and limit their time in the tub to ten minutes. This will prevent overheating in young children. You should also be sure to keep kids hydrated while they are in the warm water of a hot tub.

These few tips will help you keep your kids safe near water all summer, and you will rest easier knowing that you are doing all you can to keep your children from having an accident that could cause them harm.

The holiday season is a time for family, which often means that people take part in large gatherings including a lot of food and drinks. As the holidays get closer, it is important to understand the risks that holiday foods and décor can pose to your pet. We all want to have a happy, safe holiday season, and that includes our pets. I know I want to make sure that Rosie The Boy Cat, Morti, and Frank all stay healthy during the holidays. Here are some tips for keeping your pet safe over the holidays.

Food

Not all human food is appropriate for dogs and cats. It is important to know the foods that your pet can’t have so that you can make sure they are safe during all of your holiday festivities. Here are some of the foods that you shouldn’t let your pet eat:

• Bread dough
• Raisins or grapes
• Onions
• Chocolate
• Xylitol
• Cooked bones
• Dark meat turkey
• Fried foods
• Foods with a lot of butter
• Stuffing
• Gravy
• Casseroles with a lot of fat
• Desserts containing chocolate or xylitol
• Anything with certain spices such as sage
• Alcohol

If you are having guests in your home for the holidays, talk to them about feeding your dog or cat. You can ask all your guests to refrain from feeding your pet to make sure that they aren’t given anything that they shouldn’t eat. By asking your guests to avoid giving your pet food, you can also know that they aren’t eating too much food, which could lead to stomach problems.

Make sure that you don’t leave food unattended within reach of your pets. Even though it is a busy time, you will want to clean up any dropped food or other spills right away to prevent your pet from getting into anything that is dangerous.

If you want to give your pet a special, human-food treat, consider giving them safe fruits or vegetables that are full of vitamins and minerals. Otherwise, it is probably best to stick to dog or cat treats. For the pet owners that really want to make sure that their pets are included in the holiday eating, check out some great homemade pet treats that you can make this holiday season.

Celebrations

The holiday season is full of gatherings and decorations that can cause problems for your cat or dog. Some animals get anxious during large parties and gatherings. Give these pets their own space. They should have a quiet room where they can enjoy being hidden away from guests. It might be a good idea to leave on soothing music to help drown out the noise in the rest of the home.

If you are letting your pets join in on the celebration, make sure that you are doing so safely. It is always a good idea to watch entrances to make sure that dogs and cats aren’t able to slip out. Explain security measures to your guests as well. Before the celebration, make sure your pet’s ID tags are up-to-date. Even better, you could get your pet micro chipped. During the festivities, make sure your pet is wearing a collar with the ID tags just in case they manage to get out of your home.

Many homes are decorated with all kinds of things for the holiday season. Many decorations can be dangerous and lead to injuries for our pets. Here are a few different types of decorations you should use with caution:

• Ornaments: Small ornaments are easily ingested by pets, and pets could choke on them. Small ornaments could also cause a blockage in your pet’s gastrointestinal tract. Broken glass ornaments could cause cuts both internally and externally.
• Wrapping Paper and Ribbons: While seemingly harmless, wrapping paper and ribbons can become entangled in your pet’s intestines, which could lead to life-threatening health problems.
• Tinsel and Garland: Both tinsel and garland are attractive to pets, and they are fairly easy for pets to ingest. Both items could cause internal blockages that require extensive medical treatment.
• Christmas Tree Water: Unfortunately, pets don’t know what water is dangerous, and the water used for your Christmas tree can contain chemicals that help preserve the life of the tree but are also very harmful to
• Potpourri: Since potpourri smells so good, many pets mistake it for food. Potpourri can contain oils that are very dangerous for pets, and the large chunks can lead to all kinds of problems.
• Candles: Candles with flames can burn your pet. Additionally, pets are known for knocking candles over and starting fires.
• Electrical Cords: When you hang lights, there are often cords that dangle. These cords can catch the attention of your pet, and they might decide to chew on dangerous electrical cords. Your pet could get a jolt of electricity or unintentionally start a fire.

Keep your pet safe and out of the emergency room this holiday season with our safety tips.

Estate planning is a very important part of getting older, and a sign of being organized and smart when it comes to making decisions regarding the future of your family. There are many things that need to be taken care of, and it can be overwhelming. It’s very critical to get to retirement with the peace of mind of knowing that assets are accounted for, protected and taken care of long in advance. It will allow you travel and enjoy your family and your golden years in peace.

The truth is, every person who works, has assets to their name and wants to keep things in order has to take care of their financial matters as soon as possible. It should never be left to the last minute. No one is immune to the challenges of poor estate planning. Just look at how some of the world’s wealthiest celebrities died without accounting for their assets, leaving behind chaos for their families.

For most people, the most important document they build their financial planning on is the will, to make sure that all their assets are accounted for in the event of their death. This is what most people consider to be the only option when it comes to their estate planning. But nowadays, revocable living trusts have become a popular new option for those who don’t want to get a will. What benefits does this document offer and why is it better than a will for some people?

Permanence

People are living a lot longer these days, and retirement isn’t just a 10 year period, it can be a lot more than that. Bearing that in mind, the best estate planning options have to take that into account. Circumstances can change, and people want to be able to modify, or amend their estate planning as they please. In some cases people may want to cancel the trust altogether and a revocable living trust makes this a possibility. It is created when you’re still alive, which gives you the chance to change it to suit a change in circumstances. It’s different from an irrevocable trust which cannot be edited or completely removed. You will get a lot more control over your matters and a lot more freedom to change it with the former, so it’s definitely worth considering.

Court-Supervision vs. A Trustee

According to The Balance, there is one major point of contention people have with wills, and that’s probate. The processing of a will is something many people dislike because it’s invasive. “Probate is a court-supervised process that’s required when someone dies leaving a will—or even if they don’t leave a will. The estate must pass to their heirs and beneficiaries, and probate is the legal process by which this is accomplished.”

This is where a revocable living trust comes in as an attractive alternative for people. Instead of probate, the decisions in a living trust are determined by a trustee instead, so the matter can be dealt with discreetly. Financial issues are already such a sensitive subject, and the involvement of the courts only heightens tensions and makes the process more complicated. A revocable living trust allows you to determine where your assets will go without getting the courts involved, sparing your family a possible lengthy and stressful process. 

Temporary Mental Incapacity

 Wills only take care of your affairs in the event of your death, but what about in the case of temporary injury or mental incapacity? Many people with wills have found themselves in a crisis when there’s no directive after experiencing a serious injury. This is one of the biggest advantages you will have with a revocable living trust. It allows you to stipulate how things will go if you’re temporarily unable to make decisions. Your assets will just get managed by a trustee so there’ll be no process of inheritance. This means you can just pick up and continue when you’re back in good health.

To Wrap Up

Modern estate planning has to consider the fact that people are living a lot longer and family circumstances change. The document that takes care of matters has to be versatile and fluid. Something that is too stringent and static just won’t make the cut for most people today. This is what makes a revocable living trust a perfect solution that allows you to have more say on what happens and more pathways to take when a change needs to be made.