What You Need to Know - Children ages 5 to 14 most often drown at open-water sites (rivers, lakes and oceans). In fact, 29 % of drownings involving children ages 5 to 14 occur in open bodies of water. Lifeguards are not enough! One in five parents believes that when lifeguards are present, the lifeguard is the main person responsible for supervising children in the water. Don't let a beach day turn into a bad day – follow these tips around open water. Remember active supervision is the best way to keep your kids safe!

How Does A Hot Car Affect Kids? From 1996 through 2000, more than 120 children – most of them three and younger – died from heat stroke after being trapped in a vehicle’s passenger compartment. Research conducted by General Motors revealed that these children were left behind in a closed, parked car by parents or caregivers, or that they gained access to the car on their own and could not get out. This is a serious public health issue, and one that is entirely preventable. General Motors and the National SAFE KIDS Campaign want to end these needless deaths by reminding parents and caregivers about the dangers of leaving children in, or allowing them to play around cars.

What are the most important things a parent should know & tell when talking to a child about this issue? What is the biggest myth surrounding this issue? What advice would you offer a parent who wanted to talk to their child about this issue?

New Study Shows Car Seat Clinics Are Effective, according to Safet Kids Worldwide. Based on data from car seat checkup events conducted in 29 states in February 2005, Safe Kids found that parents successfully changed their behavior and retained their child passenger safety knowledge six weeks after receiving hands-on instruction. At a second child safety seat checkup, 45% more seats were properly installed by the parents than at the first instructional event. Families with older children were also significantly underrepresented in the research. Children who attended checkup events tended to be young—ages 4 and under — even though Safe Kids Worldwide recommends that kids who have outgrown car seats ride on booster seats until they are about 4 feet, 9 inches tall and 80 to 100 pounds. Most children reach this height and weight between the ages of 8 and 12.

Children can drown in as little as one inch of water and are therefore at risk of drowning in bathtubs, buckets, diaper pails, toilets, and other places where there may be some water accumulated. Keep bath time safe! More than half of drownings among infants (under age 1) occur in bathtubs and many of these occur in the absence of adult supervision.

Most young children who drown in swimming pools were last seen in the home, had been missing from sight for less than five minutes and were in the care of one orboth parents at the time of the drowning. Don’t be one of the 66 % of parents who have little or no awareness about entrapment risks. Find out how to protect your children in pools and hot tubs.

It is estimated that 85% of boating-related drownings could have been prevented if the victim had been wearing a life jacket. Make your children wear a life jacket … it may be the law! Forty-five states have enacted laws that require children to wear life jackets while participating in recreational boating. These laws vary in age requirements, exemptions and enforcement procedures.

The Internet is an amazing way to exchange information. On it there are libraries, universities, museums, places to have fun, and plenty of opportunities to meet wonderful people from all walks of life. But, like any community, there are also some people and areas to stay away from and others you should learn more about before you visit. Millions of teenagers go online every day, and most are safe. The way to stay safer is to understand the dangers and follow some simple rules to help you steer clear of trouble. By following these rules you’ll minimize the risks and have more fun.

The most important thing to remember is that when you’re online in any kind of a public forum, anyone can read what you post. You should also remember that people you first “meet” online may not be who they seem to be.

Whatever your age, the Internet is a great place to hang out. It’s not only fun, but it lets you keep in touch with friends and family and provides an enormous amount of information. There are lots of great educational sites as well as places to keep up with your favorite hobbies, music, sports, and much more. If you’re the parent or guardian of a teenager, you may feel teens don’t need the same restrictions and controls as younger kids. Teenagers are actually more likely to get into trouble online than younger children. Teens are more likely to explore; they’re more likely to reach out to others besides their peers; and, sadly, they’re more often preyed upon as victims by child molesters and other exploiters.