It’s April, and the summer months are upon us. For Floridians, looking down the barrel of a long, hot summer vacation with the kids, having access to a swimming can be a lifesaver.
But it’s important to know things can go wrong at the drop of a hat. Of course, you want to let your kids be kids when they’re having fun at the pool. But slips, falls, tumbles and panicked swimming happen all the time, and you have the difficult job of making sure none of that happens.
Let’s put a few choice summer pool safety tips under the microscope.
Children Are Statistically At Risk Of Drowning
According to information from the World Health Organization, children between one-and-four years old are among the most common drowning deaths in the US. This is followed, closely, by children aged five-to-nine years old.
The sad fact is, drowning accidents can happen in a residential swimming pool relatively easily, especially if you aren’t taking precautions. Child safety in general is all about taking specific steps and committing to them, and there are many ways to prevent accidents around the pool, as well.
The most important thing to remember is the best deterrent is adult supervision. You can put any combination of safety measures in place, from accessories to pool design changes. But, at the end of the day, the responsibility for a child’s safety is always with the adults.
Keep Your Eyes On Them
Here’s a chilling fact: a child can drown in as little as a few seconds in about an inch of water if nobody intervenes. After three-to-five minutes, you’ll have serious consequences to contend with, if not a potential death. Things can snowball in ways you never expected, so the pressure is on to be present while looking after children in a pool.
As a general rule: never leave young children unattended in a pool. The 10/20 rule is a common approach, here: check in every 10 seconds, and never be more than 20 seconds away. That way, even if something does go wrong, you’re there.
Lastly, as far as you can, avoid distractions. It might sound obvious, but these things can seem compelling in the moment. If the phone rings, don’t walk away to take the call. If you have to go, don’t leave before you find an adult you trust to supervise the kids.
Security Fences
Safety fences have been and continue to be an ideal solution for avoiding accidents with groups of children at the pool. A safety fence makes it difficult for anybody under a certain height to jump over or sneak in.
Put up a fence, and you can reduce incidents of drowning by 95%.
Get The Kids Some Lessons
Of course, you could always put the safety of your kids at the pool in their hands, somewhat. An effective way to prevent drowning in somebody of any age is to simply teach them how to swim. As a result, the American Pediatric Association recommends teaching children to swim by age four. That said, there are many parents who start their kids far earlier, often at around one year of age.
Regardless of how good a swimmer your child is, however, they should never be left alone for extended periods of time while swimming. Keep in mind, a false sense of security is a very real risk when it comes to your kids. Kit them out in as many floating devices as you want. Get as many certificates of swimming excellence as you can. With everything in place, accidents can and will happen, and nothing can replace adult supervision.
Get Yourself Some (CPR) Lessons
Our final point on today’s list certainly isn’t the least important. Basic CPR lessons are available in most major cities and are a good weapon to have in your arsenal to fight against potential drownings. Get in touch with your local government to find out about CPR courses. Even with a free lesson and no certification, you’d at least be ready in the moment if things ever went South.
At Artesian Pools, we’re in the business of fun in the sun. But fun should come second, after safety. Have a safe summer in 2020 and make sure to get in touch with us for any of your custom pool needs.