BURRILLVILLE – With weekend forecasts calling for this area’s first substantial snowfall this winter season, I thought it would be beneficial if this Sunday feature addressed snow and winter cold safety for kids and families.
It’s extremely important that children take breaks between outdoor activities during cold and snowy days. These activities could include shoveling snow and clearing snow off of vehicles and stair arm rails. Kids should always bundle up and wear appropriate winter clothing when participating with outdoor winter fun and activities in the snow and cold. Kids should limit their outdoor activities and go inside to warm up before returning to outdoor fun and activities. Remove wet clothes and dry off in a warm home environment. Eat a snack and drink some hot chocolate to help keep energy levels up. If a child feels tired then let them rest for a while. Putting wet clothes back on before going back outside is bad idea. Make sure all winter clothing is dry.
When kids, teens and adults are done shoveling snow and clearing snow off of their own property and vehicles, they should check on any elderly and disabled individuals and adults in your own neighborhood to make sure that they have clear walkways and their vehicles are snow free. They may have doctor’s appointments or may need to pick up scripts for medication the following day, or a couple days after a significant snowfall. Making sure that these individuals have access to their vehicles may be very helpful and I’m certain, very much appreciated by those that you help. Be careful and never overdo shoveling. If you are an adult, please take breaks and stay hydrated. Eat a snack and rest whenever you feel tired.
Be safe in the snow and cold weather.
Jim Weicherding is a Burrillville resident, and the founder and creator of an award-winning traffic safety effort Seasons of Safety. Weicherding contributes kids’ coloring cartoons, which can be printed and used to help parents discuss safety issues with their children. He has a long list of police officers and firefighters in his family and has worked with law enforcement and firefighters in a creative public safety capacity for more than two decades.
