Keep park trips amusing for all by stressing safety

Memorial Day weekend may best be known for it’s patriotic celebrations honoring all the lost lives of the brave men and women who served our country – but it also carries with it a number of important seasonal distinctions: the final count-down to the conclusion of another school year, the unofficial start of the summer, and the official start of the summer amusement park season.

Whether you have season passes or just visit amusement parks once in a blue moon, amusement parks can be a great family outing. It’s easy to assume that a well-run park is “safe” but the statistics would suggest otherwise. Safekids.org recently reported 6500 emergency room visits in 2001 for amusement park injuries. While some injuries were the result of faulty equipment, a great many were due to lack of regard of the posted rules – by families and attendants.

So, as you pack up the family van to start your next amusement park adventure, spend a few minutes talking to your kids about these simple safety ideas:

1. Plan ahead and pay particular attention to health, age and height restrictions and remember they work both ways – kids should not go on rides they are too small for, or have outgrown!
2. Read the rules and make sure everyone follows them.
3. Keep all body parts in the ride at all times and tie back long hair as both can easily get caught in gears.
4. Always use provided safety equipment (bars and belts) and handrails.
5. Don’t unload until the ride stops and you are told to get out.
6. Don’t ride anything if you are feeling tired or ill.
7. Don’t ride anything that looks broken or unsteady – or a ride with an operator who does not seem to know what to do or who seems under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
8. Makes sure everyone drinks often and has time out of the sun throughout the day.
9. Make sure you have a rendezvous plan and consider using walkie-talkies if you will all be separated during the day.
10. Don’t forget to have fun!

Keep in mind that what looks fun to you may very well be scary to your child regardless of age. Think about costumed characters for a moment. A person in a costume to you is the real McCoy to a young child magnified a billion times from TV. So, don’t push those picture moments if your child is fearful – let your child dictate how close she wants to get to that large cuddly critter.

It’s equally important to be realistic about your child and your expectations when choosing a ride. I remember hearing a dad once at Magic Kingdom berate a teenager for being a “wimp” because she refused to ride Splash Mountain while her 7 year old brother was happy to go on. To each his own with this stuff – we all define fun differently and these rides are just not for everyone. Some kids just enjoy the shows, games or less bouncy rides.

In the end, since the name of the game is family fun, go with quality and not quantity. Better to see less of the park and have happily tired kids then end the day with overheated and grumpy kids.

On a personal note, after 70 weeks and over 50,000 words, Your Kids Health will be coming to an end today. I want to thank you for giving me a few minutes of your busy lives and for all your input and comments. Here’s to all of us getting through our kids’ childhoods together – with lots of java and laughter I have no doubt we will all survive!

© 2005 Pediatrics Now.
All rights reserved. PEDIATRICS NOW is a trademark of Pediatrics Now.

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