Summer is finally here!
The more confident a child is around the water, the less likely an incident will be to occur but regardless, accidents do still happen and it is vital that parents heed the following tips leading into the warmer summer months:
Adult supervision: Appoint a designated “Water Watcher” to monitor children during social gatherings at, or anywhere near pools. Always maintain visual contact. Always use the buddy system.
Don’t depend on floaties or inflatable toys: Parents should be fully aware that flotation devices are not a substitute for supervision.
Be prepared: Keep rescue equipment poolside. Don’t wait for the paramedics to arrive because you will lose valuable lifesaving seconds. Knowing CPR ahead of time can save lives!
Start them young: Teach children water safety and swimming skills as early as possible so they have the best chance to survive a water accident. Even babies can learn how to flip on their back.
Protect the pool space: Do not leave chairs or other items of furniture where a child could use them to climb into a fenced pool area.
Teach your nannies and baby sitters: If they hit the pool, you require constant and uninterrupted supervision of your children!
“We cannot stress enough the importance of parental supervision when children are around the water,” said Rita Goldberg, founder and CEO of British Swim School. “All too common is the story of one parent thinking that the other had eyes on the child. Our mission is not only to provide quality and innovative water survival skills to children nationwide but also to teach parents and family members to be responsible water watchers.”
Take the pledge to be water safe and get your free ‘Water Watcher’ Card and lanyard here.
British Swim School, the pioneer of a non-traditional infant water safety program that provides gentle and fun teaching methods, is encouraging parents to not be fearful of the water, but instead equip children with the skills to safely enjoy water playtime.
