I was a fortunate child who grew up with an inground
pool. As the only house on the street
with a pool in our yard, the neighborhood kids would loiter around our home
hoping for an invite. My mom developed a
wonderful system using a Canada flag. If
the flag on our fence was up – everyone was welcome for a swim. The only rule was that the kids needed to
bring a parent. Mandatory. And despite the kids that would sit on our
lawn whining about not having an adult to join them, my mom was firm to the
rule.
We have a pool in our yard.
This is separately fenced. As our
kids are getting older, and have been able to swim for years, we are giving
them more freedom around the pool. As
long as an adult is home, they are welcome to swim. However, the other day I was reminded of an
important lesson – just because my kids can swim, that is not necessarily true
for others of the same age. We had a
pool party for our twins’ birthday and all the kids arrived and proceeded to
jump in the pool. One child was hanging
around the shallow end and I asked her if she could swim – nope. I was surprised that in dropping her off to a
pool party, her parents would not mention this very important fact.
Last year in my small community an 18 month old child
drowned when he was able to get outside while his father had a 15 minute
nap. Drowning is the second most common
cause of accidental death among children aged 14 and under in Ontario, after
motor vehicle accidents. Yet, like many
risks, drowning is absolutely preventable.
Here are some safety precautions to consider:
Constant and vigilant
supervision. Supervision of any child is a full-time job. Most drowning’s
occur when a child is playing near the water and falls in - not while
“swimming”. So, when it comes to kids, a “within arm’s reach” rule should
always apply – whether they are in, or around, water.
Using safety devices
for the pool. These could include:
o
Poolside
Alarm- A motion sensor is installed along the pool edge, which sounds an
alarm when waves are detected from a body falling into the water.
o
Child
Immersion Alarm- A wristband worn by a child, which will sound an alarm
when they come into contact with water.
o
Pool
Fences- Fences should be at least four feet tall, surround the entire pool
and have self-latching gates out of the reach of children. Specialized gate locks prevent children from
entering the pool area, as they are complex or require adult strength to open. Gate alarms can also be installed to
alert when the gate is unexpectedly opened.
o
Pool
Covers- A cover built to fit your pool dimensions will act as a barrier for
a falling body, as they will not enter the water.
o
Door locks
– special locks, difficult for children to open and installed at the top of
a door, prevent kids from being able to get into the yard without an
adult.
Use life jackets, not
just floaties. If your child is not a strong swimmer, they should always be
wearing a life jacket - in a pool, at the beach, or on a boat. Like wearing a
seat-belt and helmet, children should be taught from a young age that wearing a
life jacket is necessary around water. From a functional standpoint, life
jackets are safer than floaties.
Floaties can develop small holes that actually fill with water, or can
deflate, causing the child to slowly sink lower into the water. A well-fitting life jackets is designed to
keep a child’s head above water, and to flip a child over onto their back to
facilitate breathing. They cannot
deflate. It also provides something for an adult to grasp if they need to pull
the child out of the water.
Know the signs of
drowning. Contrary to popular belief, drowning does not happen when people
are flailing their arms, yelling and calling for help. It is actually the opposite. People that are getting into trouble in the
water often look like they are climbing an invisible ladder. They can’t yell or cry for help as their body
is low on oxygen and is focused on trying to keep air in, not yell it out. Know the signs - check out this link for the
“8 Quiet Signs of Drowning”: http://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/8-quiet-signs-of-someone-drowning/.
Knowledge of first
aid. Parents should always consider having knowledge of CPR or basic water
rescue. This could prove handy for many
situations beyond just water safety.
Swimming lessons. Give your kids a head start by helping them
to become comfortable in the water from a young age. Every minute they can stay afloat could save
their life.
But remember, when it
comes to children, nothing is safer than diligent and attentive supervision.
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