If you’re a mom who has at least one kid who plays sports, chances are you already have a box load of personal protective gear meant to be worn when they’re playing games. But did you know these gears are just as useful for any other play activity at home?
Wearing Protective Play Gear at Home
Whether it’s playtime with their siblings or their group of friends, kids need to have something to use for personal protection that’s designed for active play. The usual gear includes a helmet, elbow and knee pads, protective clothing, and even hockey mouthguards.
The least protected part of the body is the face. A helmet protects the head, pads protect elbows and knees, and clothes protect the body. But often, the face is left with little protection. And this is one of the reasons kids sometimes break a tooth while playing.
If your kid is into hockey, you most likely have a mouthguard at home. Make it work harder for you by making sure your kid wears it whenever they’re wearing a helmet. This is for better protection on the mouth area and to reduce the risk of tooth accidents.
The Importance of Safety and Protection
The purpose of protective gear is mainly for sports. But just because your child is at home and not playing his usual sport, it doesn’t mean that he can’t use his protective sports gear for when he goes out to ride a bike, learn how to use a skateboard, or even when he plays in the backyard.
On top of wearing protective gear, using insect repellant and sunscreen for outdoor is encouraged, to prevent insect bites and for maximum skin protection. There are plenty of kid-friendly insect repellant lotions made with natural essential oils that are gentler on their skin and come in variants that are especially made for sensitive skin.
What Kids Can Learn from This
Putting a premium on health and safety will teach your kids the value of taking care of themselves and how to keep themselves from getting injured during outdoor play or when they’re doing sports. This instills in them the discipline of putting personal health and safety first.
They also learn to ensure their personal safety and that they do not injure or hurt anyone at sports events because they’re wearing the proper, appropriate protective gear. Once it becomes a habit, it becomes second nature to them to don a protective vest, a helmet, pads and even their mouthguard.
They do this whether they’re going out for some fun outdoor play with their friends or even when they’re playing at home. Forming these self-care habits early on promotes better awareness for health and safety, and a deeper understanding of its usefulness and its application in various areas in life.
So before you chuck those protective gear in boxes and put them in storage, have them somewhere accessible to the kids so that they can use it each time they need it. Making these available to them will help them in forming the habit of safety and become more comfortable using it.
