Water safety is something that you can never take too seriously. Even though we went over a lot of these tips with our kids last year, this year we’re doing it all again to be sure they know how to stay safe at the pool and beach this Summer.
I’m not a professional, and none of these tips guarantee your child’s safety around water. Make sure to supervise your children at all times.
Code word
Come up with a silly code word that your kids must hear you say before they get in the water. Make sure that every time they get out they know to wait for the word before they climb in again so there is no miscommunication.
Swim Lessons
As straight forward as it might seem, swim lessons are an important part of water safety. If you can’t enroll your kids right now, you can start lessons in the bathtub about how to float and keeping their heads above water. Then, spend the first several minutes in the pool going over floating again and what to do if they start to sink.
Go get help
Teach your younger children to go get help if they see some one struggling and not try to help the other child themselves. Untrained kids can quickly create a double emergency when they paddle out to try to help their friends to safety. It’s important to make sure kids understand this, before they are faced with an emergency situation.
Discuss Water Safety
Water safety must be a family & friends conversation too. If you are going to the pool with friends for the day, make sure all the children are on the same page with water safety rules. If you are going to the beach with family, have a talk the first day about the rules your kids have about water safety and that you expect all cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents to help you enforce them. It might be an awkward conversation, but child safety is worth it!
The ZAC Foundation has so many great resources about water safety to share. They really make it simple! They target kids age 5-9 with their safety resources and ZAC camps.
Some good rules to start with, straight from the ZAC Foundation are the ABC&Ds of water safety:
- ADULT: Never let children be alone near or in a pool, ocean, lake, or river. Children should be taught to never swim without an adult present.
- BARRIER: Have a four-sided fence that goes around your pool with a self-locking gate.
- CLASSES: Kids and adults should take safety classes like swim lessons and CPR.
- DRAINS: ALL swimmers should stay away from all pool and spa drains to avoid becoming trapped by the suction.
I’ll be honest, before I saw this video I had no idea that drain entrapment was even a thing. Click the link to watch is so you can see how to prevent it! There are specific types of pool drains that are more dangerous than others. It’s hard to describe, which is why I so appreciate the video explaining it and showing how it works! You can see each type of drain so you know if the ones where you are swimming are safe or not.
If your kids are scared of swimming, The ZAC Foundation also has resourcesa for that. They have an adorable book called the Polar Bear who couldn’t, wouldn’t swim. It is too cute and could really help kids get over their fear of water!
Do you have big plans for the Summer? How can the ZAC Foundation help you have a fun, safer Summer? Share in the comments!
The ZAC Foundation is also offering a giveaway, use the form below to enter to win one of 15 Summer Fun Kits (ARV $50) Winners will be randomly selected and notified by Clever Girls and/or The ZAC Foundation by June 20
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Sarah says
Always walk/ don’t run near swimming pools is another rule we have!
Martha says
Thank you SO much for including the link to the video on pool drains. We knew of a child who died this way last summer and I never understood why the adults were not able to get her up out of the water. I am showing this video to my family TONIGHT!