How to Keep Your Kids Safe When Swimming This Summer
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How to Keep Your Kids Safe When Swimming This Summer
Beating the heat at the pool or at the beach is a summer highlight for a lot of families. But did you know that the water is more dangerous than you think? According to recent data from the CDC, more children ages one to four die from drowning than any other cause of death. That’s why parents and guardians should be more attentive to kids during swimming time – especially if they have multiple children. As summertime draws near, here are our top tips to keep your family safe and cool.
Avoid going to dangerous bodies of water
If you’re planning a beach trip, avoid ones with a heavy shore break or drop. Shallow water beaches with heavy shore breaks can be dangerous, even for children and adults who know how to swim. It’s also important to check the weather beforehand, as weather can greatly affect currents. Pools are generally preferred to beaches as these are more regulated environments that will allow you to protect children better. Always make sure you’re staying in lifeguarded areas, and that life vests are worn – especially for younger kids.
Assign a watcher for each child
Even with a lifeguard on duty at the beach, a community pool, or a private pool, we still recommend assigning one adult watcher per child. It would also help if the watcher knew basic CPR. Cleveland Clinic highlights that CPR can help a person stay alive until first responders arrive. Unlike the dramatic, loud drowning that’s shown in movies, drowning can be silent and quick. In fact, 64% of drownings could be attributed to gaps in adult supervision – which is why watchers should not be on their phones or distracted in any way.
Adapt activities according to your kids’ ages
Babies can drown in water as little as an inch deep, which is why you need to put in the effort to adapt summer activities according to your kids’ ages. In our list of ‘Summer Activities to Entertain Your Kids’, we recommend splash pads, shallow inflatable pools, or even water balloon fights as great summer activities for kids of different ages. If your child is heading to camp or is invited to a pool or beach party by their peers, make sure you’re voicing out your concerns to the adults in charge and establish boundaries with your kid.
Invest in swim lessons
Swimming is an essential survival skill, and every young child would benefit from knowing basic water safety skills to help them get to safety in the event of an accident. Knowing how to swim will also give children the confidence to have fun during the summer, and in turn, gives you peace of mind as their guardian. A post on water safety by Love Holidays also outlines that swimming can be beneficial from a mental, physical, and social perspective. Having your children take swimming lessons is a great life lesson and a skill that they can use for years to come.
Pick an appropriate swimsuit
Rescuers remind families to avoid picking dark-colored swimsuits or swimsuits that match the color of the water. For your children’s safety, lean towards bright, colorful suits that can be easily spotted even underwater. Also, make sure that life vests and arm floaties are brightly colored. Lastly, avoid overcrowding your pool area with pool toys and large floats. Children can get stuck underneath them, and it would be difficult for watchers and lifeguards to see kids that need help.
Stay safe this summer
With the temperatures rising, more and more families are looking for some fun under the sun. Whether you’re headed to the pool, beach, lake, pond, or any other body of water, never underestimate the dangers that drowning poses to your children. We remind parents to stay vigilant and to heed our tips to keep kids safe. You can still stay cool this summer even without access to a pool – here are ‘Five Summer Water Games That Require No Swimming Pool’.
