Most children are drawn to water and, when asked about summer vacation, often name swimming as the favorite activity. Although kids will splash around the pools and lakes, water safety is no laughing matter. Nearly 1,000 children die from drowning accidents each year, sometimes in as little as 2 inches of water. Drowning can happen even if a child has had swimming instruction.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the rules have changed on advising parents when to take their children for swimming lessons. New evidence reveals that children between the ages of 1 and 4 may be less likely to drown if they have had some sort of formal swimming lessons. The new guidelines allow parents to decide when their child is ready to enroll based on the frequency of exposure to water, emotional development, physical abilities and conditions of the water in which they will be swimming.
There are many avenues to travel when thinking about water safety. The Mayo Clinic provides the following tips:
Swimming Pools:
- Fence it in.
- Install alarms, especially around doors that lead to your personal pool. Include latches on gates that are out of your child’s reach.
- Use rigid, hard pool covers or hot tub covers.
- Teach children to swim.
- Don’t leave toys in the water.
- Keep eyes on your child near a pool or hot tub at all times. Never let them swim alone.
- Beware of drains.
- Keep emergency equipment handy.
- Don’t dive head first in shallow water.
Natural Bodies of Water:
- Never swim alone.
- Wear a life jacket, especially when in a boat or in the water.
- Feet first!
- Stay in designated areas.
- Beware of thin ice in the winter.
Toilets, Tubs and Buckets:
- Keep bathroom doors closed at all times with a safety latch or knob cover on the outside doorknob.
- Supervise bath time and drain the tub immediately after use.
- Shut toilet lids and consider childproof locks.
- Store buckets safely and empty.
Consider learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to be prepared for emergency situations. Please talk with your health care provider if you would like information about a local CPR course or if you have questions about water safety.
Melanie Yunger’s favorite season is summer and she practices water safety every year.