10 Rules for Safe Snow Days

When you're a kid, are there any two sweeter words in the English language than "snow day" ("pizza time" and "sleepover party" notwithstanding)? Children are right to be psyched: The hit of sunlight reflecting off the snow can boost their vitamin D levels, and research suggests that playing outdoors in nature may ease symptoms of ADHD. Plus, that snowman isn't going to build himself. Let them have their day in the snow safely with these mom-tested tips

1. Layer Up

When it comes to winter play, layering is tricky: Too many layers and they'll overheat; too few and they'll freeze their tushes off. According to Catherine O'Brien, a research physiologist with the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, the key to keeping kids dry is conserving heat while still letting steam escape.

How to do that? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends dressing young children in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions. Start with a thin inner layer to wick moisture away from the skin. Avoid cotton, which soaks up sweat and holds it against the skin, accelerating heat loss; try a lightweight polyester or polypropylene fabric instead. Add two insulating middle layers (maybe a long-sleeved top and leggings) of similar materials, keeping them a little loose to trap insulating air between fibers. Top it all off with a wind- and waterproof outer shell (Gore-Tex is one good option).

2. Protect Little Hands

It's easy for fingers and toes to grow downright icy as your little one's body strains to conserve energy for his core, giving extremities the shivery shaft. Mittens will keep hands toastier than gloves, and they can still effectively scoop snowballs and build forts. Look for a quality mitten or glove that offers insulation as well as waterproof protection from wet, melting snow, experts say. For even more protection, choose handwear that extends up the child's forearm to keep snow out, or try a shirt/glove combo—no wet hands, no lost mittens!

Down below, the goal is to keep feet warm and dry. If you dress them in thick, heavy socks (again, stay away from cotton), O'Brien advises going up a shoe size to avoid a too-tight fit: Excess compression reduces socks' insulating effects and reduces blood flow to feet. Not a good combo. Boot quality is important too: Kids' tootsies need insulating, waterproof footwear. Post-play, dry boots with a boot dryer so they're in good shape (and not damp and smelly) for the next round of play.

3. Dress to Be Noticed

Be sure your kids are clad in bright colors and/or reflective materials before they head out in the snow: Research out of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh found pedestrians are three times more likely to be struck and killed by cars in the weeks after the fall time change, as drivers and walkers struggle to adapt to the changing light. Similarly, slippery roads and glaring snow or midwinter gloom can cause driving problems too. Choose bright outer gear (white is not a good option) with reflective graphics on the front and back, shoes with reflective features, and/or place reflective tape on their clothing to ensure they're seen in all weather conditions.

4. Protect Their Skin

Just because you've packed their swim trunks away doesn't mean kids are safe from sun damage. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, snow reflects 80 percent of UV rays. When those rays hit exposed, unprotected skin, they can cause a bad burn. Worsening matters, UV radiation exposure increases along with altitudes, making sunblock even more of a must for pint-sized skiers and snowboarders.

The best way to protect young skin? Slather on water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, covering all exposed areas, including face, neck, hands, and scalp. To ensure broad-spectrum UV coverage, check the labels for ingredients such as avobenzone, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide. Skiers and snowboarders should opt for goggles with UV protection and everyone needs to slick on SPF lip balm. Backyard igloo-builders and snowman-makers may opt for sunglasses instead of goggles, but eye protection of some kind is important.

5. Dash Through the Snow (Safely)

Sure, you hurtled yourself down snowy hills on lunchroom cafeteria trays, but your kids? Over your dead body! Smart move: According to a 2010 study in Pediatrics, more than 20,000 youngsters under the age of 19 wind up in the ER every year with sledding-related injuries, most often to the head. (Children ages 10 to 14 years sustained the most damage; 60 percent of ER cases were boys.) But today's sledding wannabes don't have to be left out in the cold. Take them to a well-used sledding hill and make sure the area is open and free of cars, trees, posts, and rocks. Pick an off-peak time when child missiles aren't zooming everywhere, and go only when it's light outside. To avoid injury, allow only one child per sled, and avoid snow tubes, which can make it harder for others to see your speed demon (and are harder to stop or hop off without injury).

6. Check Sports Equipment

If you've had to take your kids shoe shopping in the past year, chances are they'll need bigger hockey skates or ski boots, too, says Holly Benjamin, M.D., a pediatric sports medicine specialist at the University of Chicago. "A proper fit decreases injury risk," she says. Too-small footgear can be overly constricting, while oversized equipment can leave them wobbly and prone to falls, as well as let snow sneak in, speeding heat loss.

• Have your child's winter sports gear checked by a professional at the beginning of the season.

• Make sure goggles fit and hoods aren't oversized, both of which can obscure vision.

7. Give Frostbite the Cold Shoulder

Despite the cutesy name, frostbite is serious business: "The water in our bodies literally freezes," Dr. Benjamin says. The most common physical symptom is a blister, but by that time it's too late to prevent damage. Tell your child that if she notices any pain, decreased sensation, tingling, or numbness, she should head inside immediately, where you should run warm—but not hot—water over the affected body part. As for frostbite prevention, Dr. Benjamin uses the acronym C.O.L.D.:

• C—Cover hotspots with a hat and gloves or mittens to preserve heat.

• O—Avoid overexertion. Bring kids in for periodic breaks.

• L —Layers. Think loose-fitting, lightweight, and water-repellent.

• D —Stay dry. If kids are sweating profusely or get snow in their shoes or boots, change them into dry clothes, socks, and footgear immediately.

8. Wet Their Appetites

It's extra hard for kids—and adults—to gauge their hydration needs in the winter months. In fact, a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows that cold temperatures actually alter thirst sensation. We lose an appreciable amount of water while breathing outdoors in the chilly air, drying us out even more. But just because your snowman isn't soaked in sweat doesn't mean he doesn't need to rehydrate. Keep giving him water throughout the day, just like you would in the summer. And consider this a smart reason to indulge kids in some hot cocoa—hey, it's water too!

9. Avoid Danger Zones

Every year, we hear reports of a child attempting to re-create the famous A Christmas Story scene where Ralphie's friend Flick licks a frozen flagpole. Assure your daredevil that any such attempts will be met with similarly painful results. "The minute you put wet skin—even your finger—on a frozen object, you can do some pretty significant damage, ripping off skin," notes Dr. Benjamin.

Allow ice-skating on approved surfaces only (call your local police department for a list). You should also counsel kids to stay out of snowbanks and advise against building tunnels and forts. The former may be the target of city snowplows that will have no clue a child is burrowing inside; the latter can collapse—with catastrophic consequences. In 2008, an 8-year-old New Brunswick, Canada, boy suffocated to death when a snow tunnel he had built caved in on him. To head off danger, enforce a strict buddy system at all times.

10. Take a Breather

Kids loving see their breath in the air, but for asthmatics, simply taking a breath in subzero temps can be challenging. That's because cold, dry air is a risk factor for asthmatics, more likely to provoke the condition than warm, moist air. "Just as the cold dries and chaps your hands, it can also be drying to the lungs, causing tightening of the bronchial muscles," says Amy Burack, R.N., community asthma program manager for Children's Hospital Boston. Talk with your pediatrician to see if you should prepare for winter play with a preventive inhaler or other medication. Pull a neck warmer up over little mouths to warm the air before it's inhaled and monitor them for early warning signs of an impending asthma attack, such as shortness of breath, wheezing, dizziness, or chest pain. Spot trouble? Have them head inside ASAP and treat with moist heat, like taking a steamy shower. Follow up with hot chocolate: Doctor's orders!

How to Find a Water Leak in Your House

Undiscovered leaks in your home’s water supply could end up costing you hundreds of dollars per month and even result in severe damage to the structure of your living space. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to find the source of many leaks and save yourself considerable money, provided you know what to look for. If you think you might have a leak but haven’t yet received a notice from your local utility board, your best bet is to check common problem areas for tell-tale signs of escaping water, such as drips, moisture damage, or noisy pipes.

Checking Indoor Appliances and Fixtures

Watch for changes in your water meter to confirm that you have a leak. Before you do anything else, shut off the main water supply to your home and take a close look at your water meter. If either the normal or low-flow indicator hand is moving, it means you have a continuous leak somewhere in the line. On newer digital meters, the tipoff will be seeing any number other than “0” on the flow rate screen.

• All homes are equipped with water meters designed to simplify billing and help homeowners keep track of how much water they’re using on a regular basis. In most cases, your water meter will be in a protective “box” near the curb or sidewalk in front of your home.

• Minor leaks may not create enough lost water to show up on your water meter right away. To be absolutely sure, wait 1-2 hours after your initial reading and take a second one. If the second reading differs from the first, you’ve got a leak.

Eyeball the pressure relief and drain valves on your hot water heater. Once you’ve determined that you've got a leak on your hands, it’s time to locate it. Start by heading to your hot water heater and looking for pooling on the surrounding floor. If the cause is a dripping valve, it probably just needs to be replaced. If the valves are dry, there’s a chance that the leak is inside the tank, which means you may need a brand new water heater.

• You’ll find the pressure relief and drain valves at the top and bottom of your water heater, respectively.

• Listen closely for dripping, gurgling, or hissing sounds, as well. It’s possible that your leak hasn’t yet manifested visibly on the outside of the water heater, but it may still be detectable audibly

Examine each of the toilets in your home. Add a few drops of dark food coloring to the toilet’s tank, then wait half an hour or so without flushing the toilet. After that time, look to see if the dye has made its way into the bowl. Assuming it has, the problem is most likely a worn-out flapper valve. However, a bad flush handle may also be the culprit. Your next step is to identify which component is to blame and pick up a replacement at your local hardware store.

• The majority of toilet leaks originate at the flapper valve, which is the rubber seal that moves up and down when you flush the toilet. You’ll often hear the water running continuously if the flapper valve isn’t sealing properly.

• If you think the flush handle might be the problem, try tightening the nut securing it to the side of the tank, or adjusting the length of the chain so that it’s neither too taut nor too loose. If neither of these solutions works, you may need to replace the handle altogether.

Look for leaky showerheads and drains. While you’re in the bathroom, take a peek inside the shower. Spotted pooling is usually due to a partially-open curtain or sliding door that’s off alignment, but in some cases, it may be the result of a dripping shower head, broken tile, or loose drain connection. Re-seal or replace these at your earliest convenience to prevent the need for more serious repairs later on.

• You can test your shower’s drain by covering it with a test plug, running 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) of water into the basin, and waiting to see if the water level goes down inexplicably. Failing sealants can allow water to escape around the edges of the drain.

• In rare cases, structural damage to the walls or floor underlying the shower stall may be behind the leak. If caulking problem areas doesn’t fix things, these types of leaks may require professional intervention.

Pay attention to evidence of water damage around sinks and faucets. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to spot the source of the leak with your own eyes. Otherwise, look for water stains, swelling, or rotting in the surrounding wood or particleboard. Tightening the faucet base, replacing cracked handle or knob valves, or scraping away and applying new waterproof caulk around fixtures will remedy most small-scale point leaks.

Detecting Leaks Outside

Go around and inspect your home’s exterior hose bibbs. The “bibbs” are the faucet-like pipes on the side of your home that you use to hook up a watering hose. These may be actively dripping, or they may hiss or vibrate faintly as water passes through. 9 times out of 10, you can stop a leaky bibb by tightening the packing nut that secures the handle or replacing a worn-out washer inside the handle assembly. If neither of these solutions work, call a plumber and have them trace the leak further back into your pipes.

• The average home has 1-2 hose bibbs on either the sides of the front and back, but particularly large homes may have more, so be sure to make a thorough search.

• Hose bibbs are most often connected to the water lines in the basement or crawl space. This is where you should start searching for the source of the leak if it doesn't seem to be coming from the bibb itself.

Assess the condition of any water accessories you have in your garden. This includes things like hoses, taps, fountains, water ornaments, and irrigation systems, such as sprinklers. If any of these accessories show signs of heavy deterioration, it may be time to chuck them and get new ones.

• A leak doesn’t need to be a bubbling geyser to be a cause for alarm—even a slight, consistent drip could point to a problematic rupture somewhere in the intervening water lines.

• A good way to catch leaks that aren’t steadily flowing is to note when a fixture or the surrounding terrain appears to be wet despite a lack of recent rainfall.

Scan for clues that might indicate a break in your underground water lines. Make a circuit of the area between the meter and the main shutoff valve inside your home. As you do, look and feel carefully for standing water, overly soft or muddy patches, or grass that’s significantly greener or appears to be growing at a faster rate than the rest of the lawn. The presence of any of these signs means that it’s time to call a plumber.

• It’s also possible to conduct a more definitive test if there’s a shutoff valve at the meter itself. Use the valve to temporarily stop the flow of water. If there’s still activity on the meter, it means the leak is somewhere between the meter and your home.

Call a pool specialist if you think you have a leak in your swimming pool. While some swimming pool leaks will be obvious, most will be much harder to reliably diagnose and repair than more common household leaks. Dial-up the pool’s original installer or search for a reputable maintenance company and have them come in and sniff out the leak for you. That way, you won’t be forced to watch time and money go down the drain hunting for it on your own.

• If the water level in your pool keeps dropping rapidly in spite of your efforts to keep it filled, chances are good that there's a leak somewhere.

• There are lots of places where something can go wrong in a swimming pool: the pump, the filter, the skimmers, the vacuum lines, or even the lighting elements or drainage systems. The fact that pools are so complex is precisely why it's so important to call a specialist if you believe that you have a leak.

• This piece of advice also applies to large decorative fountains, in-ground manmade ponds, and other major water installations.