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Summer in the Bay: Smart, Healthy, Joyful Living for Families

Julia Getzelman, MD - CEO & Founder Getzwell Personalized Pediatrics

Summer in the Bay: Smart, Healthy, Joyful Living for Families

 

Summer in San Francisco has its own rhythm: foggy mornings, beach afternoons, camps, busy hiking trails, outdoor concerts, and long evenings thanks to late sunsets. It’s also a season that quietly challenges the body — with more UV exposure and dehydration, disrupted sleep and bug bites.

At GetzWell, we think about summer health proactively. A few helpful habits, and some well-chosen products, can make summer significantly easier on children’s immune and nervous systems, skin, and sleep.

Tick Awareness: Small Bite, Big Impact

Ticks carrying Lyme and other infections are increasingly present throughout Marin, Sonoma, Napa, the East Bay hills, and many Bay Area hiking areas. We’ve already had many phone calls related to tick bites.

Wearing light-colored, long sleeve pants and shirts is an easy way to lower the risk of sun and bug exposure. After hikes, camps, or outdoor sports, perform a thorough tick check, especially around the scalp, behind ears, waistbands, underarms, and behind knees.

For targeted prevention, we like:

If you find a tick has bitten your child (or you!), follow these steps. Note that lyme disease does not always present with a “bullseye” rash. 

  • Take a deep breath and try to remain calm
  • Remove the tick using a tick remover tool or this wallet-size card
  • Do not use your fingers to remove the tick and wash your hands if you touched a tick
  • Save the tick in a ziploc bag with a moist towel
  • Visit tickreport.com to order a test and mail the tick overnight for pathogen analysis
  • Call GetzWell to explore a single-dose antibiotic while awaiting results
  • If the tick tests positive for Lyme or another disease, call GetzWell to schedule an appointment to discuss treatment options

Summer Skin & Sun Care: Protect Without Overdoing It

San Francisco’s cooler weather can create a false sense of protection, but UV exposure remains significant even on foggy days.

We believe in intelligent sun exposure — not fear of the sun.

A few simple strategies:

  • Prioritize hats, shade, rash guards, and timing before relying solely on sunscreen
  • Avoid repeated burns
  • Reapply sunscreen frequently during sports or swimming
  • Don’t forget ears, lips, tops of feet, and the back of the neck

These sunscreens are among favorites:

Hydration also matters more than many parents realize. Mild dehydration commonly presents as headaches, irritability, dizziness, constipation, or poor focus long before children recognize thirst.

Summer Sleep: The Hidden Foundation

Long daylight hours, travel, screens, and shifting schedules can quietly disrupt sleep — often showing up as emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, anxiety, irritability, or reduced resilience.

A few helpful anchors:

  • Keep wake times relatively consistent
  • Limit bright light and screens late at night
  • Keep bedrooms cool and dark
  • Prioritize protein-rich breakfasts after late summer evenings

Children’s nervous systems still benefit from rhythm — even during summer months.

 2026 Bay Area Summer Ideas We’re Loving 

You surely already know about the many Street Fairs, the Marin Country Fair, Water Parks, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, and the Sterngrove Music Festival. Here are some other ideas for you to consider this summer:

And one final recommendation: don’t underestimate the value of unstructured time. We encourage our families to keep at least one week completely unscheduled. Children increasingly live highly scheduled lives. Summer still needs room for boredom (https://anitacleare.co.uk/boredom-is-good-for-children/ ) , imagination, beach walks, reading, creativity, and nervous system recovery. Not every moment needs enrichment. You may be surprised what your kids come up with!

A Few Summer Staples We Actually Keep Around

  • Mineral sunscreen
  • Electrolyte packets
  • Tick repellent
  • Tweezers and basic first aid supplies
  • Arnica gel for bumps and bruises
  • Extra hydration and snacks for camps and sports
  • A lightweight layer — because this is still San Francisco

Final Thoughts

At GetzWell, we continue to believe that health is built primarily through daily habits, healthy nutrition, movement, sleep, relationships, nervous system regulation, and environment — not simply through treating illness after it appears. Summer can be one of the most restorative seasons of the year when approached thoughtfully. We hope your family finds moments this season for sunshine, movement, curiosity, rest, and genuine connection.

Want to know more?

We are committed to providing the best pediatric care in the Bay Area. If you want to learn more about our practice, please contact us.
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