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6 Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe at the Pool

Today’s topic is of utmost importance to our family as we live in a lake community.  When kids aren’t at the lake in the summer they can be found at our local High School Pool!  Please welcome Kaitlin in bringing us some awesome resources and experience on how to keep kids safe at the pool!

I feel very fortunate that our family has a back yard swimming pool. It has provided many hours of enjoyment, and I just get a kick out of watching the creative ways my kids play in the water. But I also want to provide them a safe pool environment, so there are certain things at the top of my safety list:

6 Ways to keep your kids safe at the pool

6 Ways to Keep Kids Safe at the Pool

Always be watching. My kids are old enough to swim now, and they’re pretty self sufficient in the water. But I always watch them while they’re in the water. I watch carefully, and don’t do anything else – no slipping into the kitchen to fix snacks, no texting on the cell phone. If I have to do something else, I make sure my husband has taken over the watcher duty.

No swimming unsupervised. The kids know this family pool rule very well. We don’t allow them to swim alone. If they are in the water, a parent is present. It’s a simple rule that assures us the kids will stay safe. Here are some other resources with more information about pool safety and kids:

· Pool Safety For Kids

· Swimming Pool Safety: Layers of Protection

· Water Safety at Home

We protect the area. We put a fence around our pool, with a locking gate, and an alarm to prevent unauthorized access. We put a floating alarm in the pool, which will sound if a large body falls in the water. We put an audible alarm on the back door that goes to the pool area. We don’t just rely on one thing to protect our kids.

There are rules for pool behavior. We established a set of rules for the kids – and their friends – to follow when they’re in the pool. My husband had them printed on a big board, and we attached that to the fence, so everyone could see it. If we have to remind them about “no running,” it’s not a surprise.

The kids take swimming lessons. I read an article which stated that signing children up for formal swimming lessons greatly decreases the chances of drowning. The recommendation was that lessons start at around age 4, so that’s what we did. They are more confident in the water, and that pleases me.

Prepared for emergencies. My husband and I have both taken CPR lessons, and we keep our certifications current. We have a first aid kit easily accessible from the pool. We have the emergency phone numbers in the speed dials on our cell phones, and keep them with us when we’re at the pool.

Kaitlin Gardner started AnApplePerDay.com to further her passion for a family friendly, green living lifestyle. She is married to her college sweetheart and lives in Pennsylvania. She and her husband enjoy going for long hikes, to get out and enjoy nature. She is working on her first book about ways to live an eco-friendly, healthy, natural life.

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One Comment

  1. Such an important list… I really want to get our little swim lessons, but we are due with another any day so it may have to wait a bit!

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