I grew up the oldest of four girls and my first born was a girl, it wasn’t until I had my son did I begin to realize why mother of boys were always in the emergency room. From the moment my son could roll over he was ready to explore outside his boundaries. This kid has no amount of fear when it comes to being active and I spend 90% of my day shouting “get down from there!”  My first ever emergency room trip was when he was just three years old and that was a rude awakening for our once uninsured family. We are now wiser since that incident and I would like to take a moment to share with you how our family stays prepared with out accident-prone kid.

Walking is not in my son’s vocabulary, he is either running or sprinting to his destination. One afternoon we step out of the car for a visit to my in-laws. We get to the front of the house, my son and I hand in hand, only for him to quickly sprint to the front steps. Why do children always fall next to sharp things? I will never understand this! Why do they not fall in the grass or trip into a gentle shrub? My son made a successfully sprint all the way up the sidewalk but suddenly tripped directly in front of their brick steps, falling forward and landing head first on the edge of the brick step. This moment still haunts me, I replay it in my mind over and over, always finding ways I could have avoided it! But the truth is you can’t be there for your child every single second of their life and accidents are more common than you think. A trip to the emergency room and $500 medical bill was the rude awakening we needed in order to realize that this could have been much worse and being uninsured was not in our family’s best interest.

Safety is always very important, but accidents do happen. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 2.6 million children 0-19 years old are treated in the emergency department each year for sports and recreation-related injuries. When unexpected injuries happen you want to make sure you’re prepared with supplemental insurance like Aflac’s accident policy to help cover out-of-pocket expenses.

Aflac’s accident insurance is offered through a direct basis and through company benefits programs. While families usually cannot purchase accident insurance until their company offers open enrollment each fall, it is important for you to educate yourself on what accident insurance is and how it can both benefit and help keep your family’s finances protected prior to selecting next year’s benefits. Accident insurance helps families stay ahead of the medical and out-of-pocket expenses that can add up quickly after an injury. The last thing you want to be focusing on while recovering from an injury is the finances! 
Cash benefits can also be used to help cover the cost of emergency treatment, hospital stays and medical exams but also for other expenses families may face, such as transportation costs, lodging needs and daily living expenses like groceries or monthly bills.

Active sports families will be thrilled to learn that Aflac will be introducing a new accident plan that includes a benefit for injuries sustained while playing an organized sport. Make sure to take some time out of your summer to look at what insurance is offered by your employer to be sure you have the right coverage for your family and you are prepared during enrollment.

We are an active and adventurous family that loves to explore! Being prepared for a new adventure is always best, so before your family heads into summer fun and activities, here are a few things to check off the list:

TIP 1: Use appropriate gear. For parents who have young children playing, the most important thing to have is the proper equipment. Some equipment may look “optional,” but it is important to wear all necessary pads and safety gear each time you play a physical sport.

TIP 2: Preparation is important. Kids should be adequately prepared with warmups and training sessions before practices and before games. They may want to go 100 percent as soon as they step onto the field, but they need to remember to progress up to their top speed. This will help ensure that they have fun and reduce the chances of an injury. They also should drink plenty of fluids and be allowed periods of rest during practices and games.

TIP 3: Listen to your body. Teach your children that if at any point they feel pain or discomfort while playing, they should notify their coach and get out of the game. While sitting on the sidelines is one of the most difficult situations a player can face, pushing through injuries increases their severity and keeps you out of action longer.

TIP 4: Make sure your family is covered. It’s a parent’s job to make sure their family is protected. That’s where my friends at Aflac come in: If an athlete with their supplemental accident insurance plan experiences a serious injury, Aflac can help provide peace of mind and cash benefits to help you and your family get back in the game fast. With Aflac’s new One Day PaySM promise, accident claims can even be processed in just ONE DAY.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.