With summertime hear everybody is flocking to their favorite pool. Children are drawn to water. Every parent knows it. And I think every mom knows the dangers of drowning, but there are other things to think about when it comes to being safe around the pool. Here are a couple steps you can take to make sure that you time around water is safe and fun. The following safety tips can go a long way to ensuring pool safety.
Teach kids not to go near water without an adult
To start with, all children should know the importance of having an adult around whenever they are around the pool. Have a talk with your kids about this to make sure they understand that if they are going to play around the pool that at least one adult is present. Don’t ever leave children around pools unsupervised even for just a moment. Children are drawn to water, and all it takes is a second for them to slip into the swimming pool.
Use life jackets
Use approved life jackets for toddlers and babies. It is a good idea for any child just learning to swim to wear a life jacket, even if they are just on the pool deck. Ensure that a life jacket is snug fitting and attached properly. You should ensure that they are comfortable with the life jacket before taking them in the water. A life jacket can make it easy for you to handle and lift an alarmed kid from the water thus keep them safe.
Start swim lessons early
Swimming lessons are an essential part of child development. Kids should be taught to swim early on. Children as young as 6 months can be taught to float on their back, giving a parent much needed time to notice that they had fallen in. Swimming lessons save lives, but should not be the only step a mom takes.
Make sure water temperature is appropriate
Apart from safety in maintaining clear water at all times, it is also important that you keep your pool water set at a comfortable temperature all the time. Young babies cannot regulate their temperature as well as adults. Temperatures should range from 82 – 92 degrees, while this might seem warm to us, it is important to remember that our babies do not have the ability to keep themselves warm in the water. In addition it is important to keep an eye on them to notice any signs of hypothermia, if they are shivering or experiencing muscle cramps remove them from water immediately.
Get a pool fence
Even when a child knows how to swim it is important to keep them out of the pool when there are not adults around. A pool fence is a great way to keep them away from the water. There are many options for pool fences including mesh, iron, glass, and chain link. It is important to keep kids away from water when nobody is watching them, a fence will keep children and babies safe, and away from water.
Install a pool net
Pool nets are a great alternative to a pool fence and will keep kids away from the water. There are many companies that are able to install pool nets and they will keep kids safe for years. Pool nets stretch tightly over your pool keeping kids away from the water and out of harms way. They are easy to use, low cost, and convenient for most pools.
Learn CPR
While everyone hopes to never use it, every parent should know CPR. It may save a child’s life one day. A minute can be all it takes to save someone’s life.
A swimming pool provides fun for the whole family, and parents need to make safety the first concern. Before letting someone use your swimming pool, you need to make sure they understand swimming safety. No parent should ever experience the pain of losing a child, and keeping them safe around water is easy, as long as the right steps are taken.
What steps have you taken at home to teach water safety?
This guest post was contributed by All-Safe Pool Fence & Cover.
