Water is the most consistent element on earth. If your child gets to any body of water unattended and they do not know how to respond, the consequences can be detrimental. Please maintain a safe home environment and be your child’s advocate to keep them safe in and around all bodies of water.
 

Water Safety Tips:

  • Constant supervision is the only sure way to prevent drowning.
  • If you cannot find your child while at home or at someone else’s house, check the pool or any body of water FIRST! Seconds count.
  • Never leave your child alone in the bathtub, near a pool or any body of water - not even for a second.
  • Do not leave your child around the pool or the bathtub to answer the phone. This is the foremost distraction 
and is commonly stated as why the baby was left unattended for a second. Unfortunately, that is enough time for disaster. Always, have a portable phone by the pool or bathtub, install a phone jack by the pool or ignore the call. Your child’s life is much more important.
  • NEVER USE FLOTATION DEVICES! These devices lend a false sense of security to you and your child. Studies reveal that parents whose children use flotation devices do not watch their children closely. In addition, the posturing of your child while using these devices is detrimental to learning true swimming skills that could save their life. Simply resist the urge and DON’T DO IT!
  • Have a responsible ADULT in charge of safety. Do not delegate this task to an older sibling. This is too much responsibility, children have short attention spans and many children have drowned with their older sibling watching them in the pool.
  • Never assume someone else is watching your child. If you and your spouse are by the pool delegate supervision to one person and then switch off.
  • Whenever possible, place a permanent safety fence between your child and the backyard pool, jacuzzi, pond, lake and any body of water. Keep a barrier between your house and the pool at all times when you are not using it or there is not an adult available to supervise. Install pool fencing specifically designed to keep children out or install a permanent fence around all four sides, preferably with a gate and a lock. Pay special attention to pet doors, as children are small enough to 
get out the pet door.
  • Install high locks with chimes on every door and window and consider getting a pool alarm. The goal is to put as many barriers as possible between your child and the pool.
  • Do not leave chairs, ladders or other objects near the pool that would allow a child to climb the fence. Do not leave any objects in the pool, so that your child will want to go get the item. Children are drawn to the water without special toys and such that encourage them to wander to the water to get it out.
  • Make sure all windows of your house provide a clear view of the pool so you could easily spot a child who made his way to the pool unattended.
  • Keep the pool water clean. Cloudy or murky water can be a hazard. Not only could you not see your child if they fell in, but if they were able to get out they can swallow or ingest the nasty water and become very sick.
  • Keep your pool water level no more than 3-4 inches from the top to make climbing out easier.
  • Keep a locked cover on all Jacuzzi’s when not in use. Especially if your child goes to a family members house. Children drown in Jacuzzi’s because someone forgot to secure the lock on the cover.
  • Do not heat up your pool or Jacuzzi water above 90 degrees. Keep the younger ones in for no more than 10 minutes at a time.
  • Remind older children to keep their long hair and body extremities away from drains, skimmers and other opened returns around any pool or jacuzzi. Do let them dive to, play around or sit on drains. If possible, turn the suction completely off for the bottom pool drain. Do not let children play around a return where a pool cleaner is hooked up to it or was previously hooked up while the pump is on. That suction is strong and the child can get stuck. Teenagers have drowned at the bottom of jacuzzi’s when the drain suction kept them underwater.
  • FOR MORE SAFETY TIPS VISIT WWW.INFANTSWIM.COM, LOOK UNDER THE “safety” TAB.