Accidents in swimming pools can occur suddenly in a couple of seconds. Learn these pool safety guidelines again to keep your kid’s safety at the front of mind as they play in the water.
Here are some water safety tips to keep in mind when your child is playing in the pool in order to keep them safe and prevent your child drowning.
Never Leave a Child Unattended Around Water
Never, under any circumstances, leave a youngster unsupervised in or near water. According to Healthline, a youngster can drown in less than two minutes. Children under the age of 5 are more likely to drown than those between the ages of 5 and 14.
Always designate an adult who isn’t distracted to keep a tight check on your child for their protection. Experts advise that in order to save the youngster, the parent should be within arm’s reach. Make sure someone is watching out for your child in particular even if a lifeguard is on duty because they must patrol the entire body of water.
Make Sure Your Pool Has The Proper Drain Covers and Fences
Make sure you are knowledgeable of the most recent pool regulations before allowing your children access, whether you are using a communal pool or the one in your backyard. If you’re having pool fun while on vacation, be especially vigilant because pool standards differ by state and city.
Drains in pools should be properly covered; otherwise, kids can think they’re fun suctions to play with. But because they might result in entrapment and injuries, it’s crucial to teach youngsters to never play with them.
Most essential, keep the pool covered and toy-free when you’re not using it to discourage your child from venturing near the water. Make the necessary obstacles, fences, and alarms to prevent your children from entering the pool unnoticed.
Learn First Aid and CPR
For the safety of your child, it doesn’t harm to review the fundamentals even if you have already received CPR training. Find a child and baby CPR class in your neighborhood or online by contacting your local council. It’s a terrific opportunity to teach your youngster CPR as well. In the event of a drowning or a water emergency, dial 000 and start performing CPR right away.
Enroll Your Child in Swim Classes
To lower their risk of drowning it’s suggested that kids start to become familiar with water at the age of 1. Remember that swimming lessons cannot stop infants and young children from drowning. Swimming lessons lessen the risk of child drowning deaths by over 80%. It is advised that parents gauge their children’s readiness for swimming classes based on their time spent in the water and their perception of their readiness.
The majority of the institutions offer child swimming and water safety training at no cost. Even if your child is able to swim, they should never be left alone in a pool unattended.
Keep Safety and Rescue Equipment Handy
Safety gear should always be on hand while your youngster is playing in the water or pool.
When in or near water, your child should always wear a life jacket that is adjustable and approved by Australian safety standards. A lifebuoy should always be kept nearby as a life preserver and other means of rescue. Lifebuoys are made to be tossed into the water for a person or child to grab onto. The floating lifebuoy and person will be towed to safety by the person on ground.
Though you might decide to equip your pool area with more safety and rescue tools, keep in mind that water toys should never take the place of water rescue and safety gear.
Other Water Safety Reminders for Kids
- Never allow your kid to chew or eat while they are swimming or playing in the water since it could cause them to choke.
- Teach kids to avoid roughhousing in the water. They must always be mindful of how shallow the water is before diving or jumping in themselves and must never urge others into it.
- Make sure kids understand the distinction between enclosed pools and open bodies of water. Ocean and lake currents and waves are far more erratic and shallow.
- Teach kids to stay inside the lifeguard-designated safe zones if they are swimming in open bodies of water. Also, an adult should be on hand to provide supervision.
- Teach kids to stay inside the lifeguard-designated safe zones if they are swimming in open bodies of water. Also, an adult should be on hand to provide supervision.
Parent Checklist for Pool Safety
We know there’s a lot to remember about pool and water safety when it comes to kids.
Here’s a quick checklist to reference before your child gets in the pool.
- Make sure your youngster has a life jacket that has been approved by Australian standards.
- When your child is in the water, pay close attention to them and remain nearby.
- Make sure the safety equipment is available and functional.
- Before they enter, make sure the pool has the necessary drain covers, alarms, and barriers.
- As soon as you think your child is ready, start teaching them how to swim.
- Regularly update your CPR certificate.
Check out this other list of 5 pool safety tips for kids.