School is over and young residents from one end of the county to the other are heading into a great summer holiday.
It will mean trips for many families, whether Sports activities, camps or something more organized like a cross-country destination.
Regardless of purpose, we hope readers and their young ones make some memories this summer. Some of our fondest childhood memories include trips out east, next door in Quebec, or a pilgrimage to the vast countryside of northern Ontario.
Alongside fun there is usually danger. Every summer, water Sports claim casualties whether it is the most experienced swimmer or people who never learned to swim. Parents and friends need to always be on the lookout for loved ones.
Closer to home there will be a two week period where it seems like everywhere people drive there are kids and bikes darting out. It is especially important in these transition times that kids be reminded about looking both ways when crossing streets.
More importantly, the driving public needs to be extra vigilant. These days are prime times when kids forget safety. It would be a life sentence emotionally to harm a child through careless conduct caused by driving a little too fast, under the influence or by way of distraction like a cell phone.
These things are all against the law, but with an increase in kids on the streets during summer break, we ask readers to be extra careful.
Most parents with kids of age to work have a special conversation that should happen this weekend. Most workplaces have an orientation program for new workers, but often people doing the job all week long take for granted how young people can make simple mistakes that can turn deadly.
Machinery and busy workplaces are no place for cell phones or distractions. We urge parents or older siblings to run through the basics and insist that new workers get familiar with their workplace when they start.
Further to this point, many people will get part-time work on farms this summer. This can be an especially dangerous, whether a novice or farm-raised kid. Every summer there is sadness of some sort associated with farm accidents.
Let’s make the summer of 2014 different and insist on proper safety around equipment. One little trick we have at our farm is to always make sure to catch the driver’s eye when heading outdoors. Kids or unsuspecting adults need to understand heavy equipment doesn’t stop quickly and the results of being in the wrong place can be deadly.
We just want kids to have fun – and parents to get a reprieve from the very busy schedules most of us are on. It’s time for that book waiting to be read, sun (in moderation), fresh air and the chance to tackle goals that never seem to get done other times of the year.
Enjoy your summer, it looks like a good one lies ahead.
