[Essential Guide] Things You Must Know This Summer: What We Can Do to Protect Our Children

At my child's elementary school, swimming lessons began today.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, swimming lessons were restricted,
and it seemed difficult for the children to enjoy them as they wished.

This year, it seems they are scheduled about twice a week.
I hope the children will be able to enjoy them to the fullest.

This is the season when the signs of summer are finally drawing near.

Every year at this time, there is something that weighs heavily on my mind.
It is the strong wish that, "Please, let this year pass without any accidents that claim a life."

Tragic accidents that repeat in the shadow of a fun summer

Summer is a season filled with memories, from family river outings and camping to fireworks and playing in the water.
But at the same time, it is also a season when sad news increases.

・Children swept away while playing in rivers
・Adults losing their lives while trying to help
・Little lives left behind in cars under the scorching sun

"It was only for a few minutes."
"I never thought it would happen to someone close to me."

Such words are repeated year after year.
But surely, this is not someone else's problem.

Little lives left behind. Thinking about school bus accidents

In recent years, school bus abandonment accidents have garnered significant attention.
There was a heartbreaking incident where a child left behind on a shuttle bus died of heatstroke.

"If only someone had noticed."
"If only someone had called out."
"If only the roster had been checked."

I believe many people across the country felt that it might have been a life saved by just one more step.

Following this accident, many kindergartens and facilities began introducing IC card-based attendance management systems.
This is a mechanism to prevent errors or missed checks during boarding and alighting by having children tap their cards, leaving a record.

The evolution of technology is reassuring.
However, that alone is not enough.
I believe what is truly important for "protecting lives" is the awareness of each and every one of us.

Those who were there but could not save them

When an accident occurs,
we tend to think about "why it couldn't be prevented."
That is very important.

But we must not forget those who happened to be there—
parents, childcare workers, teachers, passersby, siblings, and friends.
There are people who continue to blame themselves, thinking, "I couldn't save them."

・A parent whose child was swept away in seconds
・A staff member who made a roll-call error
・A young sibling struggling with the thought, "Why was I the only one saved?"

That regret can sometimes even claim their "emotional life."
That is precisely why protecting lives also means protecting hearts.
Understanding and support from those around them are necessary so that the hearts of those involved in accidents do not break.

Rather than blaming someone,
I want to believe that offering words of kindness leads to protecting lives.

Actions to protect lives, things you can do right now

"I don't want to have regrets if something happens."
Thinking that, there are small actions I try to keep in mind.

[To prevent accidents in rivers and near water]

・Always have children wear life jackets
・Establish a system where adults take turns watching children near water
・Do not approach areas with currents, and identify dangerous spots in advance

[To prevent being left in a car]

・"Never" leave children in a car (regardless of whether the air conditioning is on)
・Make it a habit to "point and confirm" before leaving the car
・Create a culture of encouraging "calling out" and "double-checking" among those around you
・Practice pressing the horn with their bottom (the password is "fart, beep")

[Knowing the check system for bus transportation]

・Check the safety management system introduced by the kindergarten or facility
・Confirm whether there are reliable mechanisms such as IC card management or roll calls
・Adults should possess the sensitivity to notice "small feelings of unease"

Protecting life means living together

What is necessary to protect lives
is not special skills or qualifications, but the "power to notice = imagination" and "actions to prevent things in advance."

And, beyond just preventing accidents,
healing the hearts of those involved in accidents is also one of the ways we can "protect lives."

May this summer
be a gentle season where every single life is protected and no one's heart is left behind.

What kind of initiatives are being taken around you?
If you have any practical tips or words of caution you use, please share them in the comments.

Connecting | HIROMI 🎈
A sower of peace seeds

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