Keeping Kids Safe around a Swimming Pool

An unfortunate statistic no parent wants to be associated with is that every year over 300 children under the age of five drown in swimming pools, many in their own backyard. Of course, teaching children (no matter their age) how to swim will make the risk of their drowning less, but children should not be allowed near the water without parental supervision.

Young children don’t think about the dangers associated with water. They see a ball or other toy in the water and try to get it out. That’s the way that many children fall into an unsupervised pool and drown. Or they go into deep water which they don’t have the skill to get out of. Many experts believe toddlers and preschoolers don’t scream for help or splash to get others’ attention.

One way to keep children safe around swimming pools is to make it impossible for them to reach the pool unless they are with an adult. Protect the pool, and your children, by placing a fence and locked gate around an underground pool. You can also place a barrier with locked gate around above-ground pools if you have a deck around them.

Talk to all children about safety rules concerning a pool. Ensure that they know not go to or into the pool without an adult present. They should also know not to run around a pool’s edge which could result in their falling into the pool. Toys should be removed from the pool and put up so children won’t be tempted to retrieve them. The gate should then be locked to keep children out of the pool.

Teach your children how to swim as early as possible. However, even if your child does learn how to swim, don’t depend on their ability to swim to keep them safe. No matter if small children know how to swim or not, there should always be an adult present when children are in the water.

Rather than using blow-up wings for children who don’t know how to swim, purchase US Coast Guard approved personal flotation devices. There are many different types and designs available, including swim suits for babies. They may not be fashionable but they could very well save your child’s life.

It would be a nightmare for any parent to realize their small child has slipped outdoors and reached an unprotected pool. It would be even worse to find that precious child lifeless, face down in the pool. Keeping kids safe around a swimming pool is necessary, and the above gives you some ideas of how you can do that.