As great athletes, skate, ski and snowboard in South Korea, you and your children may be tempted to emulate them this Family Day long weekend.

Dr. Michelle Simonelli from the Children's Hospital says there is nothing wrong with doing your best impression of an Olympic athlete, as long as you're doing it safely.

"It's a great time to be out skiing and snowboarding and I can imagine lots of kids and families are feeling pretty inspired at the moment, not just by the weather but by what they're seeing on TV.  We really encourage kids and families to participate, but there's some things that families should be aware of in order to keep kids as safe as we possibly can."

Simonelli has a number of winter safety tips ranging from general cold weather safety to sport specific advice.

No matter what you do this weekend, Simonelli says you should make sure your family is dressed warmly to go outside. With cold weather in the forecast, it's important to dress in layers with an outer layer that is both windproof and waterproof. Simonelli also says some kids don't realize how cold or wet they are when playing outside, so you should make sure to monitor for wet clothes, chilling, frostbite and fatigue and bring your kids indoors to warm up. Another thing people often forget is to wear sunscreen when the sun is shining in the winter.

If you're planning to lace up the skates on Airdrie's natural outdoor ice, Simonelli says you should double check ice thickness first. Ice needs to be at least 20 centimeters thick if multiple people are going out for a skate. The colour of the ice can indicate it's strength, with clear blue ice being the thickest, while grey ice is thin and unsafe. According to the City of Airdrie's website, ice at Nose Creek, Waterstone and Summer Hill is over 40 centimeters thick.

If you plan on hitting the slopes, there are other things to keep in mind. Above all, Simonelli says parents should encourage their children to only do what they are able to handle.

"I would say that it's really hard to generalize for all kids. All kids are so different. They have different levels of risk aversion naturally, they have different levels of skill, they have different levels of experience. What I would suggest is that parents be actively involved in figuring out and helping their children figure out what their safe limit for participation in whatever sport they're participating in is."

Simonelli did emphasize the importance of proper safety equipment like a CSA approved snowboarding helmet, goggles, and wrist guards, all of which should be checked to ensure it is in good condition. She also advised sticking to marked trails and avoiding treed areas which can be extremely dangerous. Another recommendation is taking lessons from a certified instructor that can help teach how to maintain control. Losing control, along with fatigue, can often lead to injuries on the ski hill.

Ultimately, Simonelli said parents and kids should remember the athletes they see on TV have had the benefit of years of practice, which should be the goal for everyone.

"When we're watching these incredible elite athletes, we're not watching them on their first runs, we're watching them after tens of thousands of runs, so incrementally they've gotten better slowly over time, and that's what we want all participants to do, gradually, slowly at a pace that's safe for them, get better bit by bit and be able to take on more and do more."

 

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