4 Basic Principles for Pool and Water Safety
by Kathy Alexander
Supervision
Never leave a young child unattended for even a second. Toddlers are naturally curious explorers and a second is all it takes for them to find trouble that may end in tragedy. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 75% of submersion victims were between 1 and 3 years old. Never assume another adult is watching your children, you must take full responsibility of their safety, particularly around water. When your child goes missing, always check the water first. At social activities, designate an adult as the ‘official water watcher’ to help keep all the children in attendance safe from harm.
Barriers
Obstacles must be put in place to keep toddlers safe around pools and water. Little ones learn new skills daily! One day they may only be able to sit, when the next day they are crawling and able to get into trouble quickly. It takes less than the time spent answering the telephone for a toddler to get through an unlocked door, get to the pool, and drown. . It is imperative that a mesh type fence completely surrounds the pool with a minimum height of 48 inches. This pool safety fence should separate your home from the pool and gates should remain locked when not in use. Take care not to provide climbable objects near the fence that would allow an adventurous toddler to climb into the dangerous pool area alone.
Door alarms, pool alarms and pool covers can also provide additional levels of protection, adding obstacles for an exploring toddler to have to get through before reaching the possible harm of submersion in the water.
Swimming safety skills
If infants and toddlers are relaxed in the water, they can hold their breath and provide parents with a few extra seconds to pick them up out of the water. As the children progress past the water adjustment stage, it is important to teach skills such as jumping in, turning around and swimming back to the side, recovering up for a breath and rolling to the back for a breath. These skills provide additional protection should an unsupervised water entry occur.
Infant/Child CPR
Have an emergency action plan prepared so that in the event of an accident you are able to stay calm and react efficiently and quickly. It is important all parents and caregivers are certified in Infant/Child CPR and first aid procedures.
About the Author
Kathy Alexander, Mother of four, Madison (3), Delaney(2), Courtney(2), and Wyatt(4 mos). She and her husband of 11 years live in Texas with their children. Protect Children! Teach Safety! 4 Kidz 4 Safety 'N More offers child safety products including photo identification, DNA & fingerprinting kits, books, games and charts at 4kidz4safetyNmore.com!
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