How to Keep Your Kids Safe Around the Pool

How to Keep Your Kids Safe Around the Pool

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among children. It may be hard to acknowledge that, but it’s better to be prepared for this sort of situation. Owning a pool is great – it offers you the comfort of swimming at home, the relaxing times you would normally have to pay for at a SPA or public pool and so on. Pools also impose risks that you need to know about so that you can prevent unfortunate situations from happening. In most cases, people drown in pools because the necessary safety requirements are not respected. Here are some of the measurements you can apply in order to keep your little ones safe while they use the pool:

• Adults must supervise children at all times

You can’t leave your children unsupervised, no matter what. Drowning is a matter of seconds – it is enough to look away for a few moments for something tragic to happen. No security systems and alarms could replace the fast eyes of a mother while supervising her children. Drowning prevention can only be done by investing your full attention in supervising the children.

Supervising is also required for adults who are swimming. You may notice that there is no public pool that doesn’t have a lifeguard.

If you want to swim with your children, ask someone else to supervise the pool area. You can’t distribute your attention properly while you are participating in certain activities. Supervision may fail at times because of the lack of attention of the person who is responsible for this task, so having more than just one layer of protection can be lifesaving. Changing shifts with your significant other or other adults present is a good choice as it can be hard to focus your attention on one thing for long periods of time.

• Buying a pool safety fence can save lives

When your children spend a lot of time in the backyard and you have to supervise them for fear of slipping into the pool that is nearby, you may want to invest in a pool safety fence. These fences are tall enough so that children can’t jump them, they are self-closing and self-latching, which makes them very convenient to use and they are an additional protection measurement that you should think about. These sorts of fences can easily be removed in case they become inconvenient for an adult-only pool party, but they are great for keeping children safe while they play in the backyard. You can find different sizes for pool safety fencing or pool covers. And, these aren’t expensive either. If you want to rest assured that your children will be safe while playing in the backyard, this is definitely an investment worth making, so don’t hesitate when buying it.

• Take your children to swimming lessons

Even though this can take a lot of time, having your children learn how to swim could save their lives (and it will be lots of fun too!), and this is not limited to pools. Children can learn how to swim from very young ages and it’s a beneficial skill that will help them throughout their whole lives. Long before the summer season begins, sign up your children to swimming lessons with professionals. They will at least learn how to float above water and they won’t fear water as much when they start interacting with it more.

It is a safety measurement that has a long-term result. Children might actually develop a hobby out of it. More than that, swimming keeps children in great physical condition, especially if the classes are taken periodically. When the summer season comes, you will be more relaxed knowing that your children don’t fear water and won’t panic in case they happen to slip into the water. Keep in mind that swimming lessons alone are not sufficient and you need to combine this precaution with the other ones mentioned in this article to ensure full protection for your children.

• Declutter the area

Removing the toys around the pool area, as well as other items that children or yourself might step on is a paramount thing to do before and after spending time around it. Decluttering the area, as well as cleaning the pool periodically are safety conditions that you can’t skip, regardless who is swimming in the pool. This step is important for both adults and children. When children are around, you should also remove all objects that could be climbed, even though you would normally keep them there when adults use the pool. Anything that people may step on and slip into the pool should be removed from the area. Use only plastic cups and stay away from glass plates when using the pool, as they may break and children can step on glass chippings.

• Treat the water

Another important detail that many people tend to skip because they don’t know how harmful it can be is represented by the water quality inside the pool. You can take all the aforementioned precautions and your children may still get harmed by entering the water. If you don’t treat the water the proper way, both children and yourself can suffer from bad rashes or other skin conditions that can get very serious. To avoid such problems, make sure to treat the water in the pool. Using the correct chemicals keeps your children safe. A good water pH can only be obtained by treating the water. Maintaining it clean is also critical. You can either hire someone to do it or learn how to do it yourself. You will need to buy some materials and equipment to do it yourself.

• Learn CPR

Last but not least, you should learn CPR. You never know when bad situations happen, and – in case they do – you must be prepared at all costs. Learning CPR can give you the chance to save the lives of those you love, of strangers on the street and is a great skill to have. Moreover, it’s fast to learn and the benefits can’t be counted.

Guest Article. Contains sponsored links.