Many grandparents love inviting their grandkids to stay for several days over the summer. These visits pave the way for building special relationships, passing down family history, and making wonderful memories.
As most grandparents today know, times have definitely changed since they sent their kids to grandma’s house, and drastically so since they visited their own! Safety consciousness abounds today, and it’s important to make sure you have a safe environment for when your grandkids come to stay. Following are a few tips to prepare for a safe and fun summer visit with your grandchildren.
Review Insurance Policies, Child Safety Laws, and Emergency Options
Do you know what’s covered under your homeowner and auto insurance policies? Before the grandkids come to stay, give your agent a call to make sure you’re covered for the unexpected. The worst case scenario isn’t just that an injury, property damage, or an auto accident occur while kids are in your care. It’s that your insurance doesn’t adequately cover all the claim expenses that arise when those things happen.
Child safety laws vary from state to state. And honestly, rules vary from parent to parent. Take some time to learn the car seat and passenger laws in your state before anyone comes to visit. Have the correct car seats installed ahead of time, and practice working with the straps and buckles. In Pennsylvania, children under twelve years old are required to wear bike helmets. It’s also illegal to leave a child under six unattended in a car in PA. If your grandkids are traveling from a state where the laws are different, or their parents have different personal rules, do your due diligence to comply with the law and your child’s expectations.
While you certainly know where your closest hospital is, are you fully prepared to address a medical emergency during your grandkids’ visit? Familiarize yourself with local urgent care offices, as well as a pediatric dentist and emergency room that specializes in children. Ask for a copy of the kids’ medical insurance card so that you can easily manage the paperwork in a medical office. Also, make sure you know of any allergies and the protocol to handle a reaction. No one wants to think about medical emergencies during fun family time, but they do happen. The faster you can respond, the better your grandchild’s outcome.
At the beginning of your visit, show your grandkids how to use your phone if you have a medical emergency and they need to call 9-1-1. Also review your fire escape plan so they know how to get out of the house quickly.
House and Property Safety Checks
If you are not accustomed to having the grandkids visit, especially for an extended stay without their parents, it’s time to do a realistic safety walkthrough of your home. Childproofing a house has several variables. It all depends on how old your grandchildren are and what their individual safety risks are. Talk with their parents about any specific risks or concerns, and also think critically about the kind of experience you want your grandkids to have.
Usually, these visits are a time for fun and relaxation. So if you’re worried about things that might get broken, even by accident, consider putting them away. Even older kids are sometimes prone to destruction when they are in an unfamiliar house that has more fragile items than their own. Go beyond the breakables to consider all the safety hazards in your home. Is it okay for cleaning chemicals to stay under your sinks? Should all of your over the counter and prescription medications be moved to a high cabinet or even a locked safe? Do you keep machinery, tools, or equipment in the garage that could be dangerous? Don’t forget about outdoor property safety. Do you have rules for your deck, swimming pool, trees, firepit, or outbuildings? Take a walk around your yard to check for dangerous holes, and look up to make sure there are no wasp nests in your trees or attached to the house. Again, review any concerns with your adult children so that your precautions are realistic rather than paranoid.
You are in the first generation of grandparents who also have to be concerned about internet safety. Consider adding parental controls to your Wi-Fi and streaming services for the length of the visit. Limit screen time and phone use to maximize your social time and reduce their online time. Keep their home rules around phone, TV, and internet use in mind when setting your own guidelines. But also, don’t be afraid to set a few of your own if you are uncomfortable with their access. Your house, your rules!
Keep an Eye on Safety, but Focus on Fun
Although child safety is extremely important when the grandkids come to visit, your focus should be on creating memories and enjoying one another’s company. Come up with some special plans and activities to do together during your visit. Get out all the old photo albums, movies, and board games. Check out your community calendar to attend fun events. Head to the parks, museums, batting cages, miniature golf course, movie theater, ice cream shop, or a local sporting event to keep everyone busy and engaged. Do you have a hobby, sport, or volunteer role that you can share with your grandkids? Or maybe you’d like to learn about one of theirs!
Spending extended time with your grandkids can be fun, memorable, exhausting, and the most precious treat. At Smyrl Insurance, we are proud to have a reputation for being the insurance agency that gets passed down from parents to kids to grandkids. We are honored to be considered trustworthy enough to be referred among family members. Our job is to educate, nurture, and empower individuals through insurance at every phase of life to make sure they have the policies that work well for their actual needs and circumstances. Whether you need to review your policies ahead of a fun family visit, or you just want to make sure your coverage is current, contact us to take a look. We serve clients for homeowner, auto, life, and other personal and business insurance needs in Hatfield, Lansdale, Souderton, Harleysville, and throughout the region in Montgomery County and Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
