Yesterday we read in the press the case of a teenager who was buried in sand on a Florida beach and ended up with parasite-infected skin. How awful! But ... what raise your hand who has not ever had fun doing the same ritual to their children or have they themselves been the victims of the game? It's the logical thing: the beach is fun, and more when there are children in between.
That has made us stop to think how many more things we have been doing all our lives are not as good as we thought and can cause us some disgust. Perhaps we should rethink the way to do them (without eliminating them) so that family vacations are perfect.
1. After making castles, wash your hands well
According to the Journal of Water and Health, beach sand contains the bacteria Escherichia coli.
A large part of the population has already been in contact with this type of bacteria and is resistant to the infection of most strains, although that does not take away so that mild respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, otitis and conjunctivitis can occur. That's why we can enjoy building sandcastles with the children, but when we get home, it's time to wash your hands with soap and water!
2. Sail with giant mats
Summer floats are giving a lot to talk about this year. In the United Kingdom, where the new unicorn-shaped mat is unleashing the madness on its beaches, the authorities have had to ask that they not be used, due to the large number of rescues they have caused.
"The conditions of the tide, the wind and any change in the weather can take you beyond the safe bathing areas", says Piers Stanbury, executive director of the United Kingdom Coast Guard Agency. In just a few hours, 15 rescues on the high seas of people who entered the water on the back of the inflatable unicorn and could not return.
3. Look where we step when walking in the wet sand
A great plan to chat with our children (or sometimes run after them) while we wet our feet and stay cool. In addition, seawater and wet sand can help rehabilitate your latest war wounds.
And they will love to walk barefoot. By the way, a much more suitable option than flip flops, because they can damage your feet and your spine, still in development.
But you also have to be careful with the shore of the beach. Most surfaces are not completely flat. So when walking on them they unbalance their body even without finishing forming, forcing their joints to work in an angulation and so that one of their legs has to bear more weight than the other.
To this we must add that one of his ankles will have to walk 'bending' outwards, while the other will do it 'bending' inwards, and so with the rest of the joints of his feet. In short: walks yes, but with caution.
4. Enter the water in plan sprint
The idea is not to feel cold, or feel it as little as possible. But have you thought about digestion cuts? Okay! It is not necessary to make them wait for the three and a half hours that your father forced you to bathe when you were little, but it is not about letting them into the water at any time and in any way.
According to the advice of the National Association of Child Safety
"You have to get into the water little by little, to get used to the skin at the new temperature. You must first wet your feet and then, with your hands, wet your head and neck."
5. Bathing between jellyfish
Lifeguards warn of jellyfish on the beach, but you don't even care. You think: "Surely it's an exaggeration because I don't see any." Error. These transparent organisms are often difficult to observe. further the tentacles break and can cause bites equally. So it doesn't hurt to know how to act in case the children come into contact with a jellyfish.
Explain the danger to them so that they are alert in the water and also outside and try not to play with those who are stranded in the sand. Yes, it is good to pick them up to prevent them from biting other bathers and it is fashionable to compete with other 'gatherers' to see who has more in their beach bucket, but with great caution because still they still itch.
6. To the water with yellow flag
It is clear that the green flag means that you can bathe without problems and that the red one warns you not to approach. But ... and the yellow one? The signal is more confusing, so you think: "Caution is for inexperienced swimmers. My son swims well and is accustomed to high waves." Well, you never have to trust. And if you don't believe it, look at the Civil Guard warnings. "
# Did you know that the yellow flag means "forbidden the bathroom where the swimmer does not touch the bottom with the head out"? Pic.twitter.com/7F6ddPPskD
- Civil Guard (@guardiacivil) July 5, 2017
So, the Civil Guard advises that "if you are a good swimmer, the water should not cover above the neck. But who does not perform well in the water should lower that mark to the waist."
Never forget the treacherous currents that can prevent you from reaching the shore and they don't see each other. And if you're still not convinced, think of the 481 drowned in Spain last year, according to the National Drowning Report prepared by the Royal Spanish Federation of Rescue and Lifeguard.
7. Leave the children playing on the shore unattended
We see them perfectly from the towel. But haven't you seen the news that is repeated every year about children drowning because of a neglect of their parents?
And, even in the best case (which is still the worst), they say goodbye and get lost. Check the whatsapp for a moment and Zas!, It no longer finds you among the marabunta of people who gather near the sea.
To avoid it, show a reference point that is distinguished in the distance for always controlled calves: the lifeguard's booth, a building, the stopping point of the pleasure boats ... And most effectively, never lose sight of them!
8. Excursions between the rocks: watch out for cuts and slips!
It is a good alternative for children to have fun, but always with adult supervision and with the right shoes. Nothing to go barefoot (there may be hedgehogs) or with flip flops, which can cause you to lose your balance at any time. There is danger of cuts and slips.
And of course, avoid by all possible ways that you climb and then jump into the head water! Can anyone assure you that there is sufficient depth or that there are no invisible rocks from above? He doesn't play with his life.
9. Snorkeling, always with a senior
Who can resist seeing the fish under water? And even more now that there are masks that allow you to breathe underwater without difficulty even the most useless of mortals. It is a fun practice, in calm waters.
Be careful with currents and sunburn. A lot of time upside down in the water causes the sun to cause a mirror effect in areas of the body that do not submerge and end up burning. So, from time to time, manage to convince your children to get out of the water and put on sunscreen again. You have to do it minimum, every hour.
And, above all, encourage them to ever take their heads out of the water, to see that they have not moved far from the shore. And warn them that you have to Use caution when getting too close to the rocks (It is true that there are more marine beings) but also more currents that can hit us against the rocks.
10. Sleeves and floats for inexperienced swimmers
Agree. They have been the most used security elements for decades, but that does not mean they are safe.
They already say it in the warnings when we buy them: "they are not salvage elements".
And so we warn you often.
Options? The famous churro or polystyrene sleeves, which are not punctured.
With the idea of mentalizing the population about the dangers of water, the #Ojopequealagua initiative of Emergències Setmil was born, together with the National Association of Child Safety and Segurbaby. Its objective: "to protect the most fragile group before the certainty that drowning is one of the main causes of infant mortality worldwide". The campaign includes a decalogue of tips, both for the beach and for the pool.
11. Rent a pleasure boat
If it is pedaling and has a slide, perfect. We do sports and throw ourselves into the water at sea. But beware! Especially with your children.
As we noted in our article on 'craniocerebral trauma in summer', they can give more than a major scare to restless children. So enjoy it as an alternative, but be very careful when diving.
