This winter safety post is sponsored by Bayer. To make sure these products are right for you, always read and follow the label.
Every winter brings cold temperatures, and this year has been no exception, but with it comes some of my favourite family activities. I don’t let the snow or cold weather slow us down, but we do have to be mindful of some of the risks that aren’t a factor in the warmer months and take extra care.
Checkout these winter safety tips for the whole family this winter:
Parents: Keep Your Hands Free
When it’s cold, we automatically put our hands in our pockets, but this is a major winter no-no. Icy walkways make falls more common in the winter and if our hands are free, we’re less likely to hit the ground. Make sure to keep a spare pair of gloves in all your bags or purses and finish that coffee before you leave the house!
Stock Your Car
If you commute to work, don’t forget to keep a small emergency kit in the car. Inclement weather could keep you stuck on the road for longer than you’d like. Stock a blanket, a flashlight, and some extra batteries just in case.
Mom and Dad: Shovel Safely
Remind mom and dad to stretch and take it nice and slow to avoid muscle pain or a back injury when shoveling this winter. It’s important to remember to take breaks, warm up your muscles before heading outside and use a smaller shovel to lighten the load.
Other Tips
Keeping Aspirin at home is great because you never know when an emergency like a heart attack can happen. If you think you are having a heart attack, call 911 immediately and chew two tablets of Aspirin 81. Make sure you and your family are well stocked and that you don’t have expired product in your cabinet.
For the kids: Layer up
The best way to keep little ones warm in the winter without overheating is to dress in layers. When riding in a car, avoid putting your kids in bulky clothing. Which leaves extra space between them and the protective straps of their car seat. Keep a warm blanket or car-seat cover in the backseat instead.
Keeping baby warm at night is important but blankets, quilts, pillows, bumpers and other loose bedding can pose a safety risk in an infant’s sleeping environment. It’s better to use sleep clothing or wearable blankets.
Don’t Forget Pet Safety!
Cats and dogs are vulnerable to hypothermia. Make sure your pets are not exposed to the cold if you’re going out for a long walk. Clean your dog’s paws when they come in from the snow to avoid exposing them to salt, chemicals and de-icing materials.
What precautions do you take in the winter, that you don’t have to worry about in the summer?
This post is sponsored by Bayer. To make sure these products are right for you, always read and follow the label.
With 6 dachshunds who don’t like the cold we are extremely careful of the cold weather . They always wear their coats and we make sure their paws are clean when they come in.
We take extra vitamin C
Great tips! I just wish spring was here already!
Stock your car is such a good tip. Also, I never let anyone get into the car without a hat and mitts in winter. Even if it’s just a “short trip” an accident could have us standing outside for half an hour or more.
Great tips to survive the winter. One tip I’d like to add is that if you do fall on ice, try not to put out your hand to save yourself, this often leads to a broken wrist. I can’t always manage this myself since it’s a natural reaction but I try to roll if I fall.
Great tips! I always put an extra pair of gloves in my purse during the winter months just in case I get stuck out in the cold.
Great tips… bring on summer already!
Great tips for when this season returns for sure.
Great tips. One thing I do in winter that I don’t do as regularly in summer, is take vitamin D. In the dark winter months it’s harder for our bodies to make our own “sunshine vitamin.”
I like Keep Your Hands Free advice, it is very helpful. Kids and parents need to be very careful on ice!
Well rounded tips that cover all the important things to protect and prevent!
Winter is hard on me. I live in Saskatchewan where when we get winter, we get winter. Even for a quick run out to the car, frostbite is a concern, so you have to keep as much skin covered as possible. Also, this year we have gotten a LOT of snow which makes things tough too.
Good stuff! I’m sure glad that spring is on it’s way now though!
Thanks so much for sharing all these tips,I am so looking forward to some sunny days after this cold/wet winter!
The tip about aspirin is a good one except they should put it in their pocket when shoveling. Just incase they can’t get back into the house in time.
We take Vitamin C all winter and it does help us
Thanks for all the tips
I have two cats one that stays inside but the other goes out a couple of times everyday. I wipe his paws off after coming in to clean anything that might be on them.
These are all great tips, keeping your hands free is a good one for sure. I had a fall a few years ago in winter and broke my toe!
We just got a dump of 8 inches of snow Thursday morning and it was -20 when woke up this morning so I just want Spring to come!
I really like keeping an emergency car kit. It helps to give me peace of mind.