Water Play the Safe Way

Before turning your kids loose for a season of pool parties and trips to the beach, make sure they are up to speed on the basics of water safety. The most important rule for being safe and having fun in the water is learning how to swim. Most experts recommend children learn to swim as early as four years old. Check with your local American Red Cross chapter to see if a course is offered nearby.

Talk with your child about the importance of being cautious when playing near the water before he or she spends time with other friends or family. Adults and teenagers can prepare themselves for a safe swimming season by enrolling in a water safety, first aid or CPR class through the Red Cross. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the second leading cause of all injury deaths in children aged 1-14 years. Learning CPR and providing your child with early aquatic training are great steps to take toward protecting your children.

Here are some other safety ideas:

• Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around any water environment, no matter how well your child can swim and no matter how shallow the water. Stay within an arm’s reach of an inexperienced swimmer while he or she is in the water.
• Do not rely on substitutes. The use of floatation devices and inflatable toys cannot replace parental supervision. Such devices could suddenly shift position, lose air, or slip out from underneath, leaving the child in a dangerous situation.
• Outfit everyone with the proper gear. Anyone who cannot swim well should wear or have a life jacket when they are in, on or around the water. Inflatables, such as water wings and swim rings, are not substitutes for U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets.
• Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know how to use it. A first aid kit, cordless phone, phone list with emergency contacts, reaching pole and ring buoy with a line are recommended.
• Pools should be surrounded on all sides by a fence that’s four feet or higher. Fences should not provide any footholds, which would allow a child to climb over or spacing to climb through. Plus, fences should have a self-closing, self-latching gate for when the pool is not in use.