Summer is in full swing here and for my family summer time is spent swimming. My girls, my husband and myself are true fish out of water. They love going in the pool. Plus along with swimming and frequenting pools comes the worry about safety for all entering. Therefore, it is up to us to be vigilant with this. But still make sure they are having fun at the same time. Thus when I was approached about sharing some pool safety for kids, I was more then happy to do so.
So, please read on to today’s guest post for some valuable summertime pool safety for all now.
“Mom, look what I can do.” Your son begins running to get around to the diving board.
“Jimmy, you know the pool rules. What did I say about running?” Your son sheepishly slows to a walk.
Kid love being around the water, and you love watching them have fun. But you also want them to be safe.
Here are 8 pool safety tips on how to make the pool a safe place for the kids:
1. Have clear rules.
If the kids don’t know what you expect of them at the pool, how can they know what is acceptable behavior? Therefore have a family meeting, and clearly tell the kids what the rules are at your family pool. At this point, make clear things like “no running at the pool,” and “don’t swim unless we are present.” See kids forget things. So if necessary, repeat the rules several times so that they retain them. Here are some great additional resources with more information about pool rules for kids:
• 5 Public Swimming Pool Safety Tips to Protect Your Kids
• 5 Best Devices to Help Keep Kids Safe
2. The rules have consequences.
It’s not a new concept that kids will push boundaries. If the kids don’t think they have to follow them, the rules aren’t much good. Therefore, if the child breaks a rule, remind them the first time. Still, if they repeat the behavior, make them sit outside the pool for a few minutes. But if it happens again, send them inside the house for a timeout. See if the kids know you are serious about the rules, they’re more likely to mind them. Thus, sitting inside the house while everyone else is out at the pool will get their attention.
3. Limit pool access.
If the kids can just walk out the back door and into the pool area, there’s a risk that they will go swimming when you’re not there. Therefore a fence is essential. Because it gives you control over who can be at the pool and make sure the kids aren’t tempted to sneak out for a swim while you’re out shopping. The fence should be at least 4 feet high, and have a locking gate on it. Plus, put an alarm on the gate and any doors that access the pool. So an audible signal will sound if someone attempts access. If there is a window that faces the pool – put an alarm on it as well.
4. Safety essentials are a must.
Have a first aid kit nearby, and in a known location. So, it is readily accessible. Also, put emergency numbers in a prominent place near the phone. Plus, anyone who is supervising children at the pool should be CPR certified. Likewise, have rescue equipment like a shepherd’s hook or life preserver near the pool. Hopefully you won’t need any of these items, but being prepared is key to handling an emergency if it does arise.
5. Constant alertness.
If you are in charge of watching the kids, be vigilant. See it doesn’t take very long for a child to inhale a gulp of water, panic and get into trouble. If you’re in the house fixing snacks, or texting on your phone, you’re not in a position to respond to that child when they need it.
6. Touch supervision.
If you have children younger than 5 years of age, make sure the adult is within arm’s length of the child. Plus with toddlers and babies, they should always be held in a parent’s arms.
7. Clear the pool.
After the family comes in from swimming, remove toys from the pool and put them away. Why? Because a child might be tempted to reach for that toy floating in the water.
8. Don’t forget swimming lessons.
At the appropriate age, enroll the children in swim lessons, which can greatly reduce the chance of accidental drowning.
“Mom, look what I can do.” You watch and smile as your child very appropriately walks around to the diving board to show you his latest trick. See it’s very satisfying to see safety measures in action.
*Kaitlin Gardner writes for AnApplePerDay.com. She currently lives in Pennsylvania and is married to her best friend. In her spare time, she loves to go hiking and enjoy nature. She has just started her first book about living an eco-friendly, healthy, natural lifestyle.
Additional resources:
massholemommy says
Those are all good tips! We don't have a pool, so we spend our summers at the beach & most of these still apply!
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Janine Huldie says
Glad these will help at the beach, too and I am truly so excited that it is pool/beach weather very soon now 🙂
ginnymarie says
This is a great post for the beginning of summer! I sign up my daughters for swimming lessons every summer, and this year my oldest will be on a swim team. She's pretty excited about it!
Janine Huldie says
Awesome and would love my girls to join the swim team when they are old enough, too 🙂
Dana says
This is such an important post. I recently saw a statistic that 80% of Americans can't swim – so much higher than I thought! Swimming lessons are such a gift to give a child.
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Janine Huldie says
Totally agree Dana and especially think that statistic that is so very urgent and important, too for us to make sure our kids know how to swim and be safe in the pool.
Jaclyn @ Bumpsweat says
Excellent tips! Ones I'll be using as our family grows. Thanks!
Janine Huldie says
Totally happy to share and so happy also that you can use these tips 🙂
Billybuc says
The first home I owned had a pool. What fun it was during the summer. Sigh! I hardly ever swim now. Sigh! LOL Have a great Friday, Janine.
Janine Huldie says
I truly hope to have a pool in our backyard once we finally do buy a home, but for now my in-laws have a pool and we spend lots of time in the summer over there enjoying theirs. Happy Weekend to you, too 🙂
dianeroark says
Janine,
I love this post. These safety tips are so important. I would love to use this post in a Round Up Post I will be adding this afternoon on Memorial Day.
Have a great weekend,
Diane Roark
If you have time today, please send me a picture to add to my post.
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Janine Huldie says
Thank you, thank you again and you can totally use this if you still want to and have time to include it, Diane!!! 🙂
dianeroark says
Janine, I can’t get your pics. If you get a chance send it to me. I would love to include this post. Thanks! Diane
Janine Huldie says
Sent it a few minutes ago and hope that it isn’t too late. Thanks again, Diane 🙂
irkedmommy says
Very awesome tips on pool safety!
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Janine Huldie says
Aww, thanks so much Echo!! 🙂
themomcafe says
Excellent idea to share these tips right when the pools are opening this weekend! SO important Janine! Thank you for this!!
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Janine Huldie says
Totally happy to share Chris and especially with this weekend many pools indeed opening. Yay to summer time being almost here now!!! 🙂
Rosey says
These are all such great tips. My son is (6) and way overdue for swimming lessons. We've signed him up and he starts at the end of this month.
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Janine Huldie says
Awesome and can't wait to hear all about his swim lessons 🙂
lisang@expandng.com says
Good tips, especially keeping those preschoolers within arm's reach! And we're gonna sign-up our 3.5-yr old this week for swim lessons! To a happy and healthy summer!
Janine Huldie says
Definitely wishing you a happy and healthy summer, too. And totally awesome for swim lessons now, too 😉
dishofdailylife says
Wonderful tips! Our pool is right off our house. Although it is fenced in, the kids can walk right out the door in the pool area. The rule in the past has been they don't go in when we are not home, and it will stay that way. I work outside when they are out there or in the kitchen where I can see them from the window. Of course they are all teenagers but I still want to be around. Interestingly enough, when we first got our puppy, he fell in (he was probably 9 months old when it happened) and didn't know what to do. One of our older dogs started barking and I heard him and ran outside and pulled the puppy from the water. He still won't swim but he does sit on the top step. The older dogs swim, but won't go in the pool. You definitely have to be cautious.
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Janine Huldie says
I am just so glad that your puppy was ok and would have been definitely unnerved by that. Just truly shows that anything can happen in a pool in the blink of an eye. So, couldn't agree more definitely need to be cautious.
day-with-kt.com says
Great tips – I love being around the water but prefer not to actually get in. When the boys were little, I made sure they could swim (even though I knew I could save them if I had to). Now I feel confident even when they swim in the lake – although I'm sort of afraid that this summer might be the year they want to go with just friends and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
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Janine Huldie says
Aww, I am hoping to have a few more summers before that, but still I know I do go in the water, but I also at this age would rather be near it (as much as I love it) then actually go in here, too 🙂
tamaralikecamera says
It always really scares me. My parents raised us five by a pool and nothing too bad every happened, but there were some near misses along the way. Few things are more important than pool safety!
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Janine Huldie says
Tamara, we too had some near misses and I even almost drowned as a child. Thank god my dad was right there and had good reflexes!
gigigirl says
Good tips. Have a good weekend and enjoy the pool! xxoo
Janine Huldie says
Aww, thanks Aunt Gloria and you, too now!!! xoxo 🙂
Brittnei Washington says
Reading this list actually scares me a little because I know JR as he gets older will most likely push more boundaries. We have gone swimming before but haven't gone in a while. I pinned this also for later because I would love to revisit this. I'm sure my followers would enjoy seeing something like this too!
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Janine Huldie says
Again, so happy to be able to help and glad you pinned to loom back on when you need 🙂
Myrabev says
these are really good tips even for adults. safety first always, thanks for linking up at the countdown in style x
Janine Huldie says
Aww, totally my pleasure and so glad you could use these tips, too!! 🙂
spiritedlife says
This is really great advice! If I had a pool, I think we'd be around it all summer and I think it would work to our detriment, since we are a family of fish. I think someone would think they could do something that they weren't ready for and hurt themselves. (We're also a little daredevilish when it comes to the pool). Pinning! Thanks for shairng with Countdown in Style!
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Janine Huldie says
Aww, we love being around the pool all summer and honestly getting excited thinking about it now. Thank you for pinning, too 😉