Who doesn’t love to go for a refreshing swim in hot weather?! Whether it’s in a pool, lake, or ocean, parents always worry about the safety of their children, and even adults too. Drowning can happen any time of year, but did you know it’s 89% more likely in the warmer months? (safekids.org) Here are some water safety tips to help relieve some of your water worries!
Young children should always swim in designated areas; kiddie pools, shallow end, etc.
Never allow children to swim alone! They may be excellent swimmers, even better than you, but it’s a must to keep a eye on them!
Teach your children to follow pool rules. No running around the slippery pool area, also no diving or jumping in shallow areas of the pool.
Keep water wings and floaties nearby and make sure young swimmers make use of them! They’re excellent tools to teach your child to tread water.
Enroll your child in swimming lessons. Not only will they learn the skill of swimming, they will gain confidence in the water.
If you have the lake or a pool/hot tub in your backyard, install a door alarm. This way you will be alerted if one of your children makes a dash for the backyard!
Don’t depend on life guards or other people to watch your children. Ultimately, your child is your responsibility.
Do you have a locked gate to your backyard? If not, you should. Without a lock you’re essentially inviting unwanted guests onto your property. You don’t want unknown people swimming in your backyard. This creates a real hazard.
Young children should not operate personal watercrafts such as jet skis. If your children do use personal watercrafts or boats, make sure you put a life jacket on them.
If you have a pool or a lake on your property, do you have an umbrella policy? You should! It would give you extra liability protection should something go wrong. Everyone should have one, but you really should if you have any kind of water exposure!
Happy Swimming!
