Summer Water Precaution- How to Keep Your Kids Safe
Aqua Safety 101
Some of the most fun summer activities occur in water. They allow us to stay cool, be outdoors, and have a blast. However, one of the things all parents need to be aware of is the potential for a child to drown. Even though this is a difficult and scary topic, being educated about water safety is key to making your summer a great one.
According to the CDC, children up to the age of 4 are most susceptible to drowning. They tell us that most child drownings occur in residential pools. However, this does not mean that you should leave your older children unsupervised. If there are children in the water, make sure there is ALWAYS an adult present. If you have a pool at your home, make sure you have a fence around it and that there is an alarm on the door going out to the pool. There are various other alarms and safety measures you can employ as well. If you have a baby pool, empty it each night. Children can drown in just a couple inches of water.
Make sure your kids know the rules. Starting at a young age, make strict rules that your child may not get into any water without an adult present. Even though you can’t expect your 2-year-old to follow this direction, start to enforce it at a young age. Teach them about safety around pools and water, as well. This includes no running around pools or diving into water unless they know the depth is safe.
Make sure your kids know how to swim. Maintaining regular swimming lessons until your child is a strong swimmer is a great idea. My children all swim frequently, but I still insist they all continue weekly swimming lessons because of this. Even with this precaution, do not allow your child to swim alone.
Beware of other precautions to use around other bodies of water. When around oceans, lakes, and rivers, be careful of currents, rocks, and cold temperatures. Beware of making sure your kids don’t become hypothermic in cold water.
Learn CPR and First Aid. In event of an emergency, knowing what to do is incredibly important. Hopefully you will never need to use these life-saving skills, but being overly cautious can never hurt.
Although drowning is a topic no parent wants to think about, being educated and vigilant will allow you to have a great summer in all of the plans you have while staying cool in the water.
Meet The Bella Behind the Blog: Kristen Farley is a mother of three and a domestic goddess. She is a former teacher who enjoys spending lots of time with her kids, healthy eating, volunteering at school, and mommy blogging for the masses.
Be on the lookout for more of Kristen’s expert advice and brilliant tips!
