Hidden Dangers: PARENTS BEWARE!!!
By LadyMarissa
@LadyMarissa (12148)
United States
July 23, 2010 4:56pm CST
http://www.wyff4.com/news/24358415/detail.html
I had meant to put this discussion under "Children", but that topic appeared to be hiding from me!!! 
As I was looking, I ran across this topic & thought How PERFECT!!! As I was watching the news yesterday, they did a segment on playground equipment during the summer months. They had gone out before noon while the temperature was only 90 degrees. They laid a surface thermometer on the plastic slide, metal swings & rubber coated equipment. To everyone's surprise the thermometer read 115.4 degrees. One mother had a child that appeared to be 18 months old. She said she had taken her son out for his first day on the playground a few weeks earlier. She sat him on a slide & everything was fine for the first few minutes & then he started crying. She slid him down thinking he was just scared. When she tried to get him to do it again...he REFUSED. She couldn't understand why until she got him home & saw the blisters forming. They showed little boys out playing by themselves. They got on the whirly-gig & sat there for only a few minutes before they jumped up rubbing their butts saying they were being burned.
Since I've read articles of parents who don't think to remove the drawstring from their children's clothing until they are dead from being hung. So, I felt it was my duty to remind ALL parents here to be aware of playgrounds during these HOT summer days!!! I don't know about where you live, but here the playgrounds are covered with rubber chips to help protect the children when they fall from landing on concrete. It works well for what it was designed to do!!! However, that same rubber grows to 120 degrees in no time flat. So, when barefoot children run across it to get to the playground equipment, it scorches their little feet!!!
My suggestion is...TRY IT YOURSELF FIRST!!!! If it burns you, I hope you're smart enough to NOT place your child in danger of being burned...or worse!!! Most of the Mothers I know here automatically think of these things, but maybe a friend won't...so pass this information on to those who don't automatically think!!! Do you know somebody who doesn't automatically think of protecting their child first??? If so, would you approach them & suggest they think first???
As I was looking, I ran across this topic & thought How PERFECT!!! As I was watching the news yesterday, they did a segment on playground equipment during the summer months. They had gone out before noon while the temperature was only 90 degrees. They laid a surface thermometer on the plastic slide, metal swings & rubber coated equipment. To everyone's surprise the thermometer read 115.4 degrees. One mother had a child that appeared to be 18 months old. She said she had taken her son out for his first day on the playground a few weeks earlier. She sat him on a slide & everything was fine for the first few minutes & then he started crying. She slid him down thinking he was just scared. When she tried to get him to do it again...he REFUSED. She couldn't understand why until she got him home & saw the blisters forming. They showed little boys out playing by themselves. They got on the whirly-gig & sat there for only a few minutes before they jumped up rubbing their butts saying they were being burned.
Since I've read articles of parents who don't think to remove the drawstring from their children's clothing until they are dead from being hung. So, I felt it was my duty to remind ALL parents here to be aware of playgrounds during these HOT summer days!!! I don't know about where you live, but here the playgrounds are covered with rubber chips to help protect the children when they fall from landing on concrete. It works well for what it was designed to do!!! However, that same rubber grows to 120 degrees in no time flat. So, when barefoot children run across it to get to the playground equipment, it scorches their little feet!!!
My suggestion is...TRY IT YOURSELF FIRST!!!! If it burns you, I hope you're smart enough to NOT place your child in danger of being burned...or worse!!! Most of the Mothers I know here automatically think of these things, but maybe a friend won't...so pass this information on to those who don't automatically think!!! Do you know somebody who doesn't automatically think of protecting their child first??? If so, would you approach them & suggest they think first???2 people like this
4 responses
@quita88 (3715)
• United States
23 Jul 10
Here in Oklahoma where the temps get to over a 100 the playgrounds are not protected.
I take my seven year old grandson with me ever so often and there is playground by a pond where we feed the fish and he wants to badly to play on the slides.
I have to dig in his bag his mama sent him and make him put on long pants first before he uses any playground equipment.
besides,there are two pieces of equipment I haven't a clue how they are used........
but I'm taking precautions with my little grand son and so should all parents and grandparents.
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
23 Jul 10
To me it should just be a NO-BRAINER for parents to think about it first. Sadly, that just isn't so. Here in the Southeast, we don't see over 100 very often, but it's nailing us this summer!!! Long pants should help, but they get hot too, so I think I'd feel his butt every little bit to make sure they aren't getting too hot. Kids just DON'T think about those kind of things!!!
I went out during my lunch break yesterday & as I was getting in the car I lost my balance. I grabbed the top of the car so I wouldn't get hurt. The car had been sitting in the sun for half a day & when my hand hit that metal, it hurt like hell. Today I have slight blisters on my fingertips. Fortunately, it was my left hand & I'm right handed!!! I sure am glad it wasn't my butt!!!! 
1 person likes this
@quita88 (3715)
• United States
8 Oct 10
First , thanks for the best response! SEcond, I am so glad you caught yourself before you fell.
I can imagine those blisters.So sorry, but the heat was not good for anything or anybody this summer.But as you say, thank goodness it wasn't your butt LOL
Also, this post was over 3 months old and our weather is still hot !!
I found out with the long pants that even my grandson knew those slides were hot and would slide down on the soles of his shoes.
Do take care of your hand and be really careful.
And, thanks again !!
hugs, quita
@tinym8 (420)
• United States
24 Jul 10
My goodness yes, Marissa. Parents should have the common sense to check the equipment before putting a child on it. Things do get hot out in the sun. Some folks will just never learn!
Thank you for bringing it to everyone's attention. I saw that piece on the new too. Shocking how some parents are so unthinking when it comes to their child's safety.
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
26 Jul 10
When my stepdaughter was young, I ALWAYS sat on the swing or slide BEFORE allowing her to get on it!!! I think EVERY parent should try before they put their precious little bundle of joy on ANY piece of equipment at the playgrounds. The other one that drives me nutz is the parent wearing sandals dragging a screaming, barefoot child behind them across a road or parking lot. The kid is telling them that their feet are being burnt & the parent tells them to shut up & hurry up instead of picking them up & carrying them. Even an idiot can look at a blacktop road & see that it's so freaking hot the tar is melting & the same idiot is making their child walk over it with NO shoes on their little feet. Just makes me want to put a lighter to the parent's feet over & over so they can see what it feels like!!! 
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
24 Jul 10
I watched this on the news..and in some places they showed it being 149 degrees. I am thinking that maybe they should have a overhead roof over slides and other equipment that kids play on..keep the kids safe is most important and having a roof over it to block the hot blistering rays of the run might help some.
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
23 Jul 10
We don't usually see triple digits until the end of August or first of September. However, it has been a regular event for the last month or so!!! I've been staying inside as much as possible as it's killing me to deal with the heat!!! I know 2 months ago I was out at the local park & tiny children were running around barefooted. I was wondering at the time if the rubber flooring didn't get hot, but the kids didn't even slow down so I thought maybe NOT that hot!!! Well, we are a LOT hotter now & it has to burn those little feet!!! I have noticed that a lot of the parents aren't paying attention to what their children are doing...so it would be VERY easy for them to get hurt or burned. The segment I referenced was taken around 11:00 am while it was still ONLY 90. Two hours later we were at 99. Assuming that the surface temp went up accordingly, the surface temp would have been around 125 degrees. They have been showing how easy it has been to cook an egg on the sidewalk. It's NOT an immediate fry...but 30 seconds later it's a fully done egg!!!
I would love to think that ALL parents think BEFORE they let their children play. However, that one Mother proves that it just isn't so!!!
1 person likes this
