COOMERA MONTHLY - Kidi Kingdom Child CareSun Safety for Babies and Children 3 For babies, look for a soft hat so that your baby can still lie down comfortably while he’s wearing
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For babies, look for a soft hat so that your baby can still lie down comfortably while he’s wearing it. A chinstrap will help keep it on your baby’s head. Many babies and toddlers don’t like wearing hats – keep trying and eventually hats will become part of your child’s routine.
Sunglasses Wearing sunglasses as well as a hat can help protect your child’s eyes. Look for close fitting, wrap-around sunglasses that meet Australian Standard AS/NZS 1067:2003. Prolonged exposure to UV is a risk factor for cataracts.
Check your child’s position, hat and clothing regularly to make sure she’s out of the direct sunlight.
Sunscreen
Use a sun protection factor (SPF) 30 or higher broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen on your child’s face, hands and any other parts of his skin that aren’t covered by clothes. Make sure to use plenty of sunscreen – many people don’t use enough, so they don’t get the protection they need.
Apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes before you go outside, and reapply it every two hours, even if the tube or bottle says four hours.
Make sure sunscreen is within its use-by date, and keep it stored in a cool, shady place under 30°C.
Remember that sunscreen filters UV radiation, but doesn’t completely block it out. You need to seek shade and put your child in sun-protective clothing as well.
sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat. Use sunscreen on any exposed skin.
If you’re using a pram, cover it with a shade cloth that lets air get through to your child. Alternatively, some prams have adjustable canopy tops that can move and offer shade as the sun’s position changes.
If you can’t find shade, make your own using an umbrella or sunshade. Always keep window shades in your car to stick on side windows and protect your child while you’re driving.
Protective clothing
Here are some things to think about when you’re looking for sun-protective clothing for your child:
• Tightly woven fabric helps protect your child’s skin from the sun. Hold the fabric up to the light to see how much sun gets through. If the fabric lets a lot of light through, it’ll probably let a lot of UV through too.
• Long sleeves and long pants cover up more of your child’s skin. Elbow-length sleeves and knee-length shorts are best if it’s too warm for full-length clothing.
• Wetsuits and rash vests are a great way to protect your child from the sun when swimming or doing other water activities.
• Cotton clothing is cooler than clothing made from acrylic fibres.
• Loose-fitting clothing is cooler.
Look out for sun-protective clothing with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) rating of 50+. This rating gives your child the best available protection from the sun.
Hats A hat protects your child’s face, neck and ears from the sun’s UV. Bucket, broad-brimmed and legionnaire’s hats give the best protection. Caps aren’t recommended.
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Sun safety: why it’s important
Too much sun can lead to sunburn, skin damage, eye damage, skin cancer and a weakened immune system.
Your child needs some sun to help her body to make vitamin D, which is important for things like strong bones and muscles. But you have to be careful about how much sun your child gets on her skin.
Sun safety at different times of year and day
Your child’s sun protection needs change at different times of year and different times of day. That’s because ultraviolet (UV) radiation varies during the year and across Australia depending on the season.
UV radiation levels are highest between about 9 am and 4 pm, depending on where you are in Australia and the time of year. Your child needs sun protection when the UV radiation level is 3 or above.
You can check the UV levels for your area using a SunSmart app on or by checking the Bureau of Meteorology UV and sun protection guide.
In summer, it’s best to make trips to the playground, the park or the beach in the early morning and late afternoon.
Shade
Shade gives you and your child some protection from UV radiation. Dense shade that creates a dark shadow is best.
But UV can still reach you in the shade. So even if you’re sitting in the shade, make sure you and your child wear protective clothing, including
Top Safety Tips
1. Talk to your kids about how to be safe and aware while walking. 2. Tell kids to look left, right and left again when crossing the street. Teach them to
never run or dart out into the street or cross between parked cars. 3. Remind kids to make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them and
to watch out for cars that are turning or backing up. 4. It’s always best to walk on footpaths or paths. If there are no footpaths, walk facing
traffic as far to the left as possible. 5. Every child is different, but developmentally, it can be hard for kids to judge speed
and distance of cars until age 10. 6. Cross streets at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Most injuries
happen mid-block or someplace other than intersections.
Pedestrian safety: walking and crossing roads
You can help children develop pedestrian safety skills and road safety skills by giving them plenty of practice around real roads – for example, by walking with children to and from child care or school, around the block or to the local shops.
While your child is learning, these pedestrian safety guidelines will help prevent accidents:
• Hold your child’s hand when crossing roads together and wherever there’s traffic or cars. Take special care where there’s a lot of traffic, high-speed traffic, narrow or non-existent footpaths, or things that block the view, like parked cars and trucks, trees, hill crests or crowded footpaths.
• Always cross at pedestrian crossings or corners, wait for the lights, and look in every direction to check there are no cars coming. To help your child understand about when and where it’s safe to cross, explain what you’re doing.
• Stop at driveways and check there are no cars reversing or entering. • Start talking about road safety while your child is still in the stroller. For example,
‘Uh oh, car coming. Better wait until it’s gone before we cross’. Keep talking about road safety as he grows.
As you walk together, you can ask your child simple questions to get them thinking about pedestrian and road safety:
• Where is the safest place to cross this road? • What do we need to do before we cross the road together? • Why do we hold hands to cross the road together? • When is it safe to cross the road? • What do we look for when crossing the road? • What sounds are we listening for when crossing the road?
Knowing when your child is ready to go solo
Your child’s readiness to cope safely in traffic on his own depends on his development and how much practice he’s had around real roads and traffic.
As a general guide, your child is ready to navigate roads safely on her own when she knows and understands road safety rules. She also needs to understand that even though she must follow the road rules, drivers don’t always follow the rules.
Your child must be able to pay attention to vehicles on the road and work out how far away they are and how fast they’re coming towards him.
You can still help by:
• checking your child stops, looks, listens and thinks before crossing the road • talking about road rules in simple terms • walking and talking together with your child around the streets • making sure your child wears colours that are bright and easy to see.
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Welcome Valued Families of Kidi Kingdom Child Care Centre – Coomera. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for a fantastic month. I have some exciting news to share with you. I have decided to study my Bachelor of Early Childhood. In order to do this I have stepped down from my role as Centre Manager and will be on the floor with the children. I will be placed as the Lead Educator in the Early Learners Room, which will be opening up soon. Our lovely Miss Katrina will be stepping in as the new Centre Manager. Once again, thank you to our families for your ongoing support. We look forward to a long and happy relationship with you and your family. Kind Regards, Sarah Piccolini Assistant Centre Manager Hello centre families, my name is Katrina. I am the new Centre Manager for Coomera. I have ten years experience in the early childhood industry and five of those years have been with Kidi Kingdom. I look forward to meeting you all and getting to know your children. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at the centre or you can email me at [email protected]. I will endeavour to ensure your child/children's time here with us is fun and educational.
Please remember to return your re-enrolment forms for 2019 as the centre is filling fast and we would like to secure your child's enrolment for next year.
Kind Regards,
Katrina Cotton Centre Manager
Letter from the Centre Managers
Pedestrian Safety for Little Kids
Once your kids take their first steps, they'll want to use this new power as much as possible. By knowing a few simple tips you can encourage your kids to explore and be safe when they're out and about.