There’s no doubt about it that swimming is a beneficial activity for kids. It curbs obesity, strengthens muscles and bones, and keeps the blues away. The rewards, however, come with risks as well. It’s not unknown to parents that drowning is a common incident among children. Too often, it happens right at someone’s own backyard.
The good news is there are ways to reduce the risk of drowning. If you follow these tips, you’ll be saving your kid from fatal incidents:
Secure the area
One of the major causes of drowning is unsupervised children. You probably heard of news reports narrating stories of parents leaving their backdoors open and having their children sneak out into the yard, going to the pool area. To avoid this, it’s important to keep kids away from the space when they’re unsupervised.
Laws require residential pools to be fenced in. Your pool fence should at least be four feet tall and must have gaps no wider than four inches. Invest in self-latching gates, too. Some homeowners in Utah also find it helpful to have a pool cover, a second line of protection of some sort after the fence. Consider adding an alarm on the door leading to your pool area, as well. Do note that such a warning device still shouldn’t replace supervision.
Watch out for drains
In some drowning incidents, the cause is pool equipment. Kids are trapped underwater when hairs or other body parts are sucked into drainage pipes or the pool’s pumping system. It’s difficult to spot such incidents since they happen deep into the water. Avoid this by informing your children not to go near such pool fixtures.
There are also specially designed covers and safety vacuum-release systems that can reduce the risk of being trapped. Of course, it goes without saying that the pool equipment should always be in good working condition. Preferred Pool and Spa recommends getting professional swimming pool repair that Salt Lake City experts provide to avoid injuries and accidents.
Teach them how to swim properly
A majority of kids who drown are those who have weak or zero swimming skills. Knowledge and training are the best defense against drowning. Enroll your kids in a swimming program. According to experts, children aged four and above can already learn how to swim. Younger kids, on the other hand, learn depending on their physical and mental development. All the same, you have to train your child to swim properly at a certain point.
Take note of how kids are placed in different classes. Your child should be grouped together with peers who are of the same age and skill level. Consider the class size and your kid’s personality, too. If your child is particularly anxious about the water and has special needs, it might be the best idea to have them in private or semi-private sessions. In general, though, you want them to try a bigger group, so they can improve their social skills.
Swimming is an ideal exercise or sport for children, but it does come with lots of risks. The good news is you can reduce that risk by securing your backyard, equipping your pool with safety features, and training your children to swim properly.
