Safety tips around water

It’s getting hotter by the day and with the lockdown more relaxed more families are going out to excursions. Because of the heat, children are likely to insist on swimming. As a parent, you need to be careful when children are around water. Did you know that it only takes four centimetres (yes, centimetres) and three minutes for a child to drown? There’s no reason your children can’t enjoy a day in the pool or at the beach. You just want to make sure you take a few safety precautions to ensure that those fun times remain fun and don’t become a terrible tragedy.

Keeping your child safe

There are a number of preventive measures you can take to help keep your child safe whether you have a pool or are visiting a larger body of water like a pond, lake or even the ocean.

Teach your kids water and swimming skills

One of the first things to do is teach your child water and swimming skills. Even infants are capable of learning some very simple water safety things such as turning themselves face up so they can actually breathe. Most swimming lessons are offered to babies as young as six months. Even when you have equipped your little one with these skills, you can’t turn a blind eye and be relaxed. You must never leave them alone near water. Children should never, ever be left unsupervised in or around water. There are two many incidents where kids are left unattended around water and it doesn’t end too well.

Make sure your swimming pool is fenced

If you have a pool, you should have a security fence around that pool. In many countries this is actually law. However, having a fence doesn’t ensure child safety. You must be sure that the gate is securely locked and closed and that the child isn’t able to slip between any slats in order to get to the pool. You should periodically check to make sure there are no gaps or weak areas. It’s a good idea to have either your cell phone or a cordless phone handy at all times when supervising kids around water. Remember how short a period of time it takes for kids to drown? You don’t want to waste any of those precious seconds having to run into a house or dash to a car to get a phone to call for medical help.

Swimming at the beach

Swimming at the beach comes with its own set of issues. Teach kids never to swim in the ocean or a lake alone. They should always have a parent or older child close by and they should always stay in sight of the on-duty lifeguard. They should never swim near piers or pilings because the changes in water movements there can suddenly cause children to collide with them, creating even worse situations.

Always wear life jackets!

When swimming in oceans or lakes, even children who are experienced swimmers should always wear life jackets. Make sure these fit snugly. Because lakes and oceans often contain other debris, your child should wear protective footgear even while in the water.