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The Water Safety Conversation Every Parent Should

The thought of a child drowning is terrifying. Unfortunately, that may be one of the reasons most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking or talking about it. As much as we want to avoid talking about uncomfortable topics with our kids, the reality is that drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children of all ages! Another reality is that most drownings are avoidable. Talking with your kids about water safety isn’t an option. But, how do you actually have these hard conversations? And where do you start? Here are some tips:

Be Truthful About the Danger

It can be tempting to sugarcoat serious issues or skirt around them because you don’t want your kids to be alarmed. While you don’t want to unnecessarily scare your children or give them nightmares, it’s important to be honest about the dangers that water can represent. Aim to be truthful, while tailoring the conversation to be age-appropriate.

One idea is to speak with them using facts, rather than sharing emotionally-charged stories that might affect them in a negative way. Convey the dangers of drowning and near drowning, along with the most common places it happens (residential swimming pools and open water sites). Let them know how quickly it can happen, and that even if they’re a strong swimmer, they could still slip near a pool, bump their head and be in danger, which is why they must always have an adult present.

Share Your Family’s Rules

There are some common water safety rules that everyone should follow, and it’s important for each family to discuss these as well as any additional rules you’ve established. For example, only swimming when an adult is present is a rule everyone should follow. But if you have a pool in your backyard (even a fenced one), you might also have a household rule that the kids can’t play in the backyard without an adult present. Keep your rules short and memorable so kids can retain and recall them, and to talk about them before a trip to the pool or any body of water. For instance, if your child is preparing to attend a friend’s birthday party at a water park, remind them of your water safety rules and also let them know about safety tips specific to a water park that they should know. Kids can get caught up in the fun and forget safety guidelines, so make sure you talk about them often, so they become second-nature.

Get Started in Swim Class

As a parent, it’s imperative to remember that there’s no substitute for active adult supervision of your kids around water, even when it comes to the bath or anywhere with as little as an inch of water. But an important line of defense for your children is having the ability to swim on their own. If your kids are not already enrolled in swim class, there’s no better time than the present to get them started. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most children age four and older can learn to swim. Children ages one to four might be able to learn depending on their physical and emotional development. Several organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs and municipal and neighborhood pools provide low-cost and even free swimming lessons.

It’s never fun to talk about scary things, like drowning, with your children, but it’s crucial that they understand the risks that come with being around water. Sharing the potential dangers, reinforcing your family’s water safety rules and expectations and getting them in swim class is the best way to keep them safe.

We can end drowning! Take our Water Safety Challenge to measure your family’s water safety competence and help us provide water safety outreach to schools and community groups to keep kids safe.

How to Make Your Backyard Pool Safe

A backyard swimming pool can be an incredible way to relax, entertain and even exercise. Large or small, inground or above-ground, a swimming pool can provide hours of fun. But pools can also pose a danger, especially to young children, and that danger can happen in a matter of seconds.

The statistics are sobering—drowning kills more young children one to four years old than anything else except birth defects and 75 percent of drowning deaths of children younger than 15 occurred at a swimming pool located at a private residence. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points to drowning as a leading cause of unintentional death among children one–14 years of age.

But headlines reporting those drowning aren’t just statistics; they’re about real people. Backyard pool drowning accidents can happen to anyone. From friends and neighbors to celebrities like Olympic skier, Bode Miller and his wife, whose 18-month old daughter Emiline drowned and country singer, Granger Smith and his wife, whose three-year old son, River died from drowning.

The good news is that you can take steps to make your swimming pool safe and protect children from drowning.

First and foremost, children should always be supervised by an adult. Vigilance is the single most important factor in preventing drowning. Adults should practice arm-length direct “touch supervision” for infants and toddlers even if they can swim. While there are many ways to make your swimming pool safe, there is no substitute for supervision!

While none of the following precautions replace adult supervision, they can help save lives:

● Fence a pool in. Install a fence that separates the pool area from the house and yard and self-closing and self-latching gates. There isn’t a federal pool-fence law, but several cities and states have enacted their own laws that spell out fence requirements, such as minimum fence height and other specifications. Some experts say the taller the better to ensure that children can’t use things to climb fences.

● Install alarms. Use an alarm on the house door that leads to the pool area, a floating pool alarm or a below-water alarm. Keep in mind that an alarm isn’t a substitute for appropriate fencing and supervision.

● Block pool and hot tub access. Secure covers on pools and hot tubs when they are not in use.

● Remove toys from the pool. Don’t leave pool toys in the water. Curious children can easily fall into the water while trying to retrieve a toy.

● Keep children away from drains. Body parts and hair can become entrapped by the strong suction.

● Have rescue equipment and a first aid kit nearby. Make sure you have a life-saving tools (life ring, rescue tube or life hook), a first aid kit and a phone nearby. Store the rescue equipment near the pool in a clearly marked and accessible area, and periodically check to make sure it’s in good condition.

● Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). All adults should be trained in CPR. Many organizations such as the American Red Cross, fire departments and hospitals offer CPR certification courses.

● Teach children to swim. Knowing how to swim doesn’t necessarily prevent drowning and isn’t a substitute for adult supervision but teaching children to swim is always a good idea.

● Set pool rules. Educate everyone using your pool on what pool conduct is and is not acceptable. You might even create a list of “official” pool rules that includes these basic instructions:

DON’T RUN ON THE POOL DECK
DON’T DIVE INTO SHALLOW WATER
DON’T PUSH ANYONE INTO THE POOL
DON’T SWIM WITHOUT AN ADULT PRESENT
DON’T DUNK OR HOLD ANYONE UNDERWATER

Taking precautions and installing state-of-the-art safety equipment is a great start and a good addition to any water safety plan, but remember, constant supervision is the single most important way to prevent drowning. Your donation can help teach children water safety to stop drowning death and injury.

Swimming Lessons and Water Safety Best Practices

Death and injury from drowning happen every day in pools; natural bodies of water; toilets; bathtubs; and even buckets. The statistics are staggering: ten people drown every day for a total of 3,400 each year. It’s a leading cause of accidental death among children of all ages and the single leading cause of injury-related death among children ages one to four.

Drowning can happen almost anywhere to anyone as several families learned in October of this year after heart-wrenching tragedies struck. Four children drowned over a three-week period in Florida. Two drowned at backyard pool parties; another slipped through a sliding glass door that was left open; and one involved a young boy with Autism who wandered into a neighbor’s pool. Parents in Jackson, Mississippi mourned the bathtub drowning death of their eight-month old daughter and a family in Michigan grieved for their seven-year old son who drowned while trying to catch frogs in a family pond.

Although swimming lessons don’t necessarily prevent drowning and are not a substitute for adult supervision, it’s important to teach children to swim. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most children age four and older can learn to swim. Children ages one to four might be able to learn depending on their physical and emotional development. Several organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs and municipal and neighborhood pools provide low-cost and even free swimming lessons.

The key to preventing these heartbreaking disasters is education and knowledge. Instill a culture of water safety by following these best practices.

Supervise.

Never leave children unsupervised near a body of water, including a bath. The families of drowned children know that it can happen in a matter of seconds. If children are near water, you should never presume that someone else is supervising them. Children under age four should be supervised at arm’s length, even if they can swim. Don’t rely on air-filled or foam toys, such as water wings, noodles or inner tubes, to keep children safe.

Learn CPR.

All parents and childcare providers should learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Many organizations such as the American Red Cross, fire departments and hospitals offer CPR certification courses.

Avoid alcohol.

on’t drink alcohol when you are boating, swimming or supervising children who are swimming or playing in water.

Fence in home pools and add alarms.

Install a fence at least four feet (1.2 meters) tall that separates the pool area from the house and yard. Install self-closing and self-latching gates that open away from the pool and alarms that sound an alert when someone enters the pool.

Stay in designated areas.

At public beaches, swim only in areas set aside for swimming. Pay attention to posted warnings about unsafe swimming conditions. Don’t allow children to swim in drainage ditches, abandoned surface mines or other water-filled areas not intended for swimming.

Watch out for thin ice.

Drowning can occur in cold weather, too. Avoid walking, skating or riding on weak or thawing ice. Pay attention to posted warnings regarding ice safety and consult a local department of recreation for current ice conditions.

Keep bathroom doors closed.

Install a safety latch or door-knob cover on the outside of the door.

Store buckets and containers safely.

Immediately empty buckets and other containers after use. Don’t leave them outside where they might accumulate water.

Help us eliminate drowning and save lives so no families suffer. Your donation can help keep more kids safe. Together, we can have a future where no one drowns.