Children love playing in water and when done the right way It is fun, it offers some sort of tranquility and is also therapeutic. Despite these benefits, water bodies such as the beach, the swimming pool and even your bathtub pose a myriad of dangers. The following are seven must know water safety tips for every parent.
I have partnered with Goldfish Swim Schools to bring you these posts. All thoughts are my own
Always keep your eyes on your child
Have you seen a drowning scene in a movie or a TV show? If yes, one thing you must have noticed is that the scene was quite dramatic. The victim yells for help and furiously splashes the water. Well, that’s just the pictures. Reality is quite different as it takes under thirty seconds for a child to drown quietly. Thirty seconds that you decided to check your Email or grab a drink. The cardinal rule of water safety is that you should give your child 100% attention.
Ensure your kids know how to swim
There are many benefits of enrolling your child into a formal swimming class from an early age. Chief among this is the reduced incidence of water accidents. Unfortunately, many parents gain a false sense of security when their kids learn how to swim. It is important to note that even kids that are good swimmers are at a risk of drowning. Swimming lessons should thus be complementary to a caregiver’s presence.
Avoid over-reliance on flotation devices
Raise your hand if you thought that flotation devices are the key to water safety? Well, you are in good company as most of us have also made the same assumption. Flotation devices are a good idea especially for children that don’t know how to swim. They however can be a death trap. Mermaid fins, for example, can trap your child and prevent them from swimming to the surface. In addition colorful flotation toys left at the pool can attract a child to play in the water unsupervised.
Hello lifeguards!
Certified lifeguards are an important water safety feature especially at public places such as a beach. As a parent, you can also take advantage of this concept to enhance water safety in private places. In a pool party, for instance, it is easy for you to get distracted and fail to give your child the needed full attention. In such cases, the parents can choose among themselves a designated parent(s) to act as a lifeguard. To complement the adult supervision, you can also use a buddy system. This is where you pair up the kids mostly with older kids that know the basics of water safety and can raise an alarm.
Teach your child the basics of water safety
Building up from the last tip, it is clear that kids also need to learn about the basics of water safety. As a family, you should ensure your kids know about certain rules that have to be adhered to enhance their water safety. These include no diving, no chewing gum, or running around the pool. The latter could result in dangerous falls in or around the pool. Chewing gum is dangerous as gum acts as a choking hazard. While you are at it you should also emphasize that swimming can only happen under adult supervision.
Make use of barriers
Do your kids always listen to everything that you say? Unfortunately, kids often ignore rules. It could be just childhood curiosity but that can be dangerous when it comes to water safety. In residential pools, you can make use of barriers such as pool fences
Sign up for CPR classes
When all is said and done, accidents do happen. The catastrophes involved in a drowning accident can be significantly reduced through prompt actions. Learning CPR, therefore, equips you with the basic skills that you need to save your child. Now that you are equipped with these must-know water safety tips, go ahead and enjoy water play!
What other water safety tip do you know that has not been mentioned above?
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