I knew at that moment that if I had not been present, my daughter would have surely drowned. I had always thought that if my daughter ever fell in our pool, I would clearly know. Contrary to what I had always believed, there was none of the flailing and splashing that I thought would occur to alert me.
8 Ways to Keep Your Child Safe
1. Enroll your children in a water safety or learn to swim program. It has been shown that children who have swim lessons have an 88% less chance of drowning.
2. Never leave a child unattended in a pool, hot tub, or bathtub even for moment. Adult supervision is essential.
3. Always designate a responsible adult to serve as the “water watcher” – a supervisor whose sole responsibility is to constantly observe children in or near the water.
- Water Watcher should maintain continuous visual and auditory contact with children in or near the water.
- Water Watcher should not engage in distracting behaviors such as talking on the phone, preparing a meal or reading.
- Water Watcher should keep children who cannot swim within arm’s reach at all times.
4. Have a phone by the pool to dial 911 in an emergency.
5. Keep rescue equipment by the pool.
6. Enclose the pool completely with a barrier. Fences should be at least five feet high and have self latching, self-closing gates. Layers of protection are important, so consider using door and pool alarms and pool safety covers.
7. Parents and caregivers should learn infant and child CPR.
8. Educate children about the rules of water safety.
****************************************
Please keep your children safe this summer and whenever you are near water.
Leave a Reply