The New England Aquarium & Family Safety

Over the holiday weekend, we took a family trip up to my favorite city, Salem, Massachusetts. I have been in love with Salem for as long as I can remember. I visited for my first time on my 8th Grade Trip to Boston. I’ve returned a few times over the years, but I had never been in October which is said to be the best time to experience all of the magic that the city has to offer. However, it gets insanely busy so you have to book your accommodations well in advance. I booked our AirBnb at the beginning of the year and waited patiently for October to roll around.

I’ll make a full post about our time in Salem soon, but today I wanted to share some photographs from a little side trip we made up to Boston to visit the New England Aquarium. I have always loved aquariums and I’ve been visiting them during my travels all around the country. Gratefully, my little ones absolutely love aquariums just as much as I do. They’ve been to a few already and we were all excited to visit the New England Aquarium during our time in Boston.

I did have one scary moment during our visit when Marina leaned a little bit too far over one of the exhibit railings. It was quite a fall down from there, so of course it shook me up. Everything ended well, gratefully, but it got me thinking about family safety. So I’ve pulled together a few family safety tips for you to read through while you enjoy the rest of the snaps from our visit to the aquarium.

Your family means everything to you, just as mine does to me. We work with all of our hearts to keep them comfortable and safe. Still, there are hidden dangers inside your home, outside of your home, and even on the road. Listed below are a few tips to keep your family safe.

Road Trips
Our road trip up to Salem was eventful, as you would expect with 4 little ones in the car. Road trips are a great way to spend quality time together. Before we headed out on the road, we made sure to check our tire pressure, fill the gas tank and get an oil change. Also you’ll always want to make sure that each child has the proper equipment necessary while traveling such as a seat belt and a harness or a booster seat for younger children.

It’s also critical to get a good night’s rest the night before you leave so that you are alert while driving. Be especially observant of fellow drivers. In the event of an accident, make sure to contact the authorities. If there are injuries, you may also want to contact a law firm that specializes in personal injury cases, such as Schwartzapfel personal injury attorneys in the Bronx, NY.

Medications
Medications are designed to help comfort people who are sick or injured. Unfortunately, young curious children see tablets that, in many cases, resemble small candies. If you have a prescribed medication that you take daily, make sure to keep it up and secured. Today, however, it’s not just young children you need to worry about, but also older children, like your teens. We’ve all heard tragic stories about the unfortunate misuse of pills in the headlines and even among people we know.

Securing Your Home
Home is where the heart is for your family. Unfortunately, not everyone is honest and respects that your home is yours. The good news is there are things you can do to make your home a less desirable choice for criminals. First, install or have a professional company install an alarm system. Second, remove shrubs, large tree branches, and keep items like ladders and equipment stored away from the home. Third, install bright lights on the side and back of your home to make it visible. And, fourth, make an effort to know your neighbors and create a look-out system in your community.

Hidden Dangers Inside the Home
There are many hidden dangers inside your home that can cause harm to you and your family that we don’t consider regularly. Active smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are not only required but, more importantly, they can save your life. Make sure to place them in the hallway between the bedrooms and on all levels of your home. If you already have them, check the batteries often.

Online Predators
Advancements in technology are making life easier. However, these advancements have also made life easier for predators. Children of all ages are on the internet today and, unfortunately, predators know this. Luckily, there are software programs available that allow you to monitor sessions and block out unfavorable and inappropriate sites.

Your loved ones are the most important things in your life, as are mine. Our top priority is doing everything we can to protect them from harm.

I hope that these tips have been helpful to you, friends and I truly hope that you enjoyed the photographs from our visit to the aquarium. It was such a special trip and I can’t wait to share the rest of the photographs and memories from our time in Salem soon. xo