Tips on Children’s Water Safety
If you have young children or a swimming pool or both, these safety tips might just have something new to prevent a tragedy from happening….
1. Have the appropriate equipment to have a ‘safe’ swimming pool.
Barriers to the swimming pool:
– Fencing and gates: make sure the gate self-locks and is of a height that a child can not reach.
– Ensure that a pool net covers the pool at all times.
Consider purchasing a pool alarm. This devise floats in the pool and will alert family or neighbours that there is movement in the swimming pool should a child or pet fall in.
Make sure pool drains, pipes or other openings that may lead to entrapment are covered and not accessible by children.
2. Learning and practicing water safety skills.
Teach children water safety and swimming skills as early as possible.
Teach your child that they can only swim if they are wearing a swimming costume – Do not take their clothes off and allow them to swim naked or in their under garments. They will soon learn that it is not okay to just take off a t-shirt and jump in a pool. Them asking you to help them change into a swimming costume will also alert you to their intention to swim.
Never allow a child who can’t swim to jump into the pool to mommy or daddy. If they associate the jumping with a game, they will not understand the consequences of doing so if the parents are not present.
Never assume your child is water safe and slack on supervision. Panic may cause your child to react differently to the normal, relaxed circumstances or environments he/she is used to.
3. Stay close, be alert and watch children around the pool.
Maintain constant visual contact with children in a pool or pool area.
Don’t let floating devices cause a false sense of security. Supervision is still very important.
An adult needs to be present at all times – do not encourage your kids to go swimming if there are just children present. Never make one child responsible for another child.
Never assume someone else is watching children in a pool area, rather appoint a designated person to watch them.
Always remove toys from the pool to prevent an attempt to fish them out and fall in.
If a child is missing check the swimming pool first, this might save valuable seconds which may be the difference between life and death.
Don’t think that you will hear a child falling into a swimming pool or being in trouble in the water, it is a silent danger…
If your child had a near drowning experience, be aware of secondary drowning and make sure the medical personnel treating your child is looking out for signs of this condition.
