Being outside is wonderful for children’s development and health. However, if your plans include being in grassy or wooded areas, remember to try to protect your family from ticks and the risk of illnesses like Lyme disease.
The best protection is prevention. You can have children help in a way that also allows them to practice their developmental skills and understand the health benefits of avoiding ticks. Blair Hammond, MD, a pediatrician and Co-Founding Director for the Mount Sinai Parenting Center, explains how and offers four things to keep in mind and to discuss with your family.
Blair Hammond, MD
Choice and Independence
Encourage your child to pick out pants and long-sleeve shirts they’d like to wear to decrease the chance that a tick will get on the skin. You can treat outdoor clothing with permethrin, an insecticide, or buy already made tick-repellent clothing. Giving choices is great for fostering independence.
Apply and Explain
You can apply insect repellent with DEET to your child’s exposed areas. You can make a game of it: “Where are your ankles? Let’s protect them with the insect repellent.” Follow recommended safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on choosing the right product for your child’s needs. Remember that back and forth conversations and explaining things helps your child learn language and connect with you.
Routines
You can have a consistent routine of bathing after being outside (this removes non-attached ticks). Also, try to incorporate tick checks into your nightly routines (a tick needs to be on a person for at least 24 to 48 hours to transmit Lyme disease). Pay special attention to hiding places like under the arms, in and around ears, behind legs, in the groin area, and along the scalp and in the hair. Having consistent routines helps with children’s self-regulation and behavior. Keeping pets free from ticks will also help. The AAP suggests checking your pets every day and using appropriate pet products.
No Need for Panic
If you do find a tick on you or your child, don’t panic. You can carefully remove the tick with tweezers by squeezing at the head and gently pulling back. If the tick has likely been on your child for more than 24 hours, or if you have any questions, call your health care provider. You can get additional guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about what you should do about tick bites.