10 Tips for Pool Safety This Summer

It’s getting warm out, and that means the kids will want to go swimming! While swimming in the pool may be a fun activity, it does pose some challenges for children who have different needs than others. Check out these 10 tips for pool safety this summer! 

1.    Make sure an adult who can swim is in the area. 

Life guards are not always present, so it is important that an adult who can swim is present, in case an emergency arises.

2.    Wear life jackets appropriately.

If life jackets are needed because your child is not able to swim yet, make sure the they are being worn properly. If a child can slip out of a life jacket, it may cause some problems. Additionally, if a child finds the life jacket uncomfortable, there are other options like floaties for the arms.

3.    Children shouldn’t be left alone near large areas of water.

Children should be watched at all times when swimming, just in case an emergency arises. It is not wise to leave your children in a public pool area or at the beach without adult supervision, even when there is a life guard in the area.

4.    Create pool safety rules.

Pool safety rules, like, “Walk – Don’t run,” and “Take a break when you feel tired,” are important to have. Go over your pool rules with your kids so you have clear rules and boundaries for your children. It’s important to discuss, not only what NOT to do, but what the child SHOULD do instead.

5.    Add a safety barrier around the pool.

Building a safety barrier around your home pool is important to ensure safety when children play in the area. Gates are useful for ensuring that children don’t go swimming when you are unaware. There are many other measures one can take to provide home pool safety like, pool alarms and pool covers.

6.    Remember everything you need.

Often, forgetting a towel or other item causes a parent to step away from the pool for a few minutes to find the item. This would leave the children alone for just a few minutes. However, an emergency can occur in just a matter of minutes. So check that you have everything you need before you leave. Don’t forget the sunscreen – sunburns are no fun!

7.    Know CPR.

Knowing CPR is a great skill to have. Although all life guards are certified in CPR, Life Guards are not always present. Taking a CPR course can help you know how to respond to an emergency when needed.

8.    Stay hydrated.

You can become dehydrated when in the water, as well as outside of the water. It’s easy to forget to bring water when you’re going to swim in a pool of water! However, it is important to drink water to keep hydrated on those hot days.

9.     Don’t let children run near the pool.

Running near a pool or the water can be especially dangerous, because a child can slip and hurt themselves. They may even fall into the pool unexpectedly. Sometimes, areas near a pool don’t appear wet, but they really are. No running by the pool is a very important rule!

10. Have a cell phone with you.

Having a cell phone close by is important because if an emergency occurs, you can use the phone to contact 911 and let them know there is an emergency.

Install a safety warning at poolside

That is intended for the protection of children. Outside the pool an alarm is set. The device also has modified bands that are supposed to be worn on the kids’ wrists when they go into the water.

This band has the alarm attached. The wristband features a moisture detection system. A small amount of moisture is ignored, but if the moisture content is large then the alarm starts to ring automatically. And if a child drowns, the alarm will go off and they’ll be able to respond quickly even though the adults are inside the building.

Add poolside barrier

If the pool is open, kids can stumble and fall into it, particularly when it gets dark and they don’t see clearly where the pool starts. A fence could prevent that sort of eventuality. There is a risk that children who are in the pool that suddenly run out and go on the lane. That could have been risky. A swimming pool fence may also prevent this from happening. And this is an essential protection measure you need to obey.

Poolside fences are usually used for in-ground pools but there are still a few choices for models above ground. Here are some good options for pool fences above ground which will provide added protection for your kids. If your kids are younger and depending on the size of the above-ground pool you have, then simply removing the ladder when the pool is not in use may be sufficiently efficient. As long as they can not easily climb into the pool without a ladder, it might not be appropriate to have a pool fence. This is one of the many benefits of keeping a pool above ground, it’s easier for small children to crawl into.

Life Jackets and Swimming Pool Floats

Encourage your kids to use them before they learn to swim properly. Using floats and life-jackets is no embarrassment. This will save lives. Even if your younger kids seem to be better swimmers, using floats or jackets is a good idea once they are a little older. Train your kids on how to wear these things and the best way to use them. Please remember to buy these according to the child’s size in order to give them maximum security.
Often make sure they don’t fall out of their life jackets quickly. Some life jackets are easy to get even the little ones out of. That only an adult can take it off the child should be difficult enough or planned.

Educate Your Children about Poolside Safety

Too many injuries have occurred in the swimming pools to neglect this. Spend time with kids at the pool as much as possible, and teach them the best strategies to do stuff. You can teach them to swim but let them not swim alone until they learn art. When kids know the right things to do they usually don’t do anything they shouldn’t do. Especially when it comes to pools above ground, one important rule to implement strongly is that there is absolutely NO DIVING permitted! Pools are not designed to dive above ground and serious injury will occur if not obeyed. No Headfirst diving and No Slipping.

There are very useful tips to use if you have children in your house around the swimming pool. You can’t keep the kids safe and you need not. But to have their poolside fun, you need to give them the right sort of safe and sound environment.

ABA can help children to learn safety skills as a part of a program based on medical necessity. Our staff can help to create visual aids or written rules for the family, with the help of the parent or caregiver, as a part of teaching safety skills. If you would like to learn more about how we at Acuity Behavior Solutions teach your children safety skills, contact us at (714) 696-2862.