Did you know that drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death for children under 5?
Drowning is fast and silent, and most importantly – it’s PREVENTABLE. The key is R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Recognition– recognize the sign of non-swimmers, tired swimmers, distressed swimmers, and potentially unsafe situations. A distressed swimmer is not moving forward; his/her arms are dragging, looks tired, possibly has hair in the face, and CAN call for help. A drowning person would have their head back and looking up, and their body is straight with no leg movements, arms are reaching to the side or front, eyes look scared, and they CAN NOT call for help.
Education – learn what factors can lead to drowning. It is crucial to understand that drowning is a real threat to anyone, anywhere, anytime. You should get familiar with your environment, conditions, and hazards of the water and the condition of the swimmer.
Supervision – should be active, direct, and constant. Most children who drowned were out of sight for fewer than five minutes. One or both parents were caring for them at the time. Lifeguards undergo professional training to act in case of an emergency, but their duties do not include babysitting patrons of the pool or by the water. Assign an adult to watch the children. Have a phone available for emergencies, but do not talk, text, or surf the internet while on Water Guardian duty. If you need to leave for any reason, pass your responsibility to someone.
Physical Barriers –Be safer in and around water by wearing correctly fitted life jackets. Ensure that you don’t use foam or air-filled toys (water wings, inner tubes, noodles) in place of US Coast guard approved life jackets. The life jacket cannot protect the wearer if it fits improperly. Proper fit should not be ignored.
Expectations – Understand what to expect from the aquatic environment and the body’s response. Know your and your child’s limits. Be aware of all the risks and hazards.
Communication – Warn and inform family, friends, and guests about the dangers present in and around the water.
Training – Learn how to respond to an emergency and teach yourself and family members how to swim. Participation in formal swim lessons was associated with an 88% reduction in the risk of drowning in 1-4-year-old children. Having a water safety plan in place can help everyone enjoy their time at the pool.
What is the Best Age to allow Children to use a swimming pool unsupervised?
Although there is no consensus throughout the United States, we believe for safety reasons, the older the better. We do realize in some circumstances and situations, “the older the better” may not be a practical pool policy. However, after reviewing numerous resources and speaking with a myriad of professionals, we believe that the youngest age to permit minors to use a swimming pool without responsible adult supervision is age twelve. Based on our research, children under the age of twelve are rarely capable of handling emergencies and other unexpected occurrences. Just as importantly, most children in the United States do not reach a height of five feet tall until they are twelve years of age. It is important to understand, that shallow water is defined as water five feet deep or less, therefore children under twelve are at risk of drowning in safe, shallow water.
National Safe Kids now recommends the age of twelve for a child before they can be left alone without supervision. Broward County, Florida, which is proactive in drowning prevention programs, insists on a minimum age of twelve before leaving children unsupervised at swimming pools. Altman Management Company, which manages a multitude of large apartment complexes with swimming pools in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, maintains the age of fourteen as the minimum age for minor children to come to the swimming pool without responsible adult supervision.
Are water wings safe?
It’s a question that is asked every summer: Are water wings safe? For many parents, water wings are seen as a way to keep kids safe and protected at the pool, but water wings or arm floaties are not recognized as safe personal flotation devices (PFD). The CDC doesn’t recommend the use of water wings in the pool.
“Water wings keep kids safe”
The use of water wings provides a sense of false security. While unintentional, watching a kid with arm floats can make it tempting to split your attention between careful supervision and, say, your phone. For any guardian choosing to use water wings, it is very important to keep in mind that a disaster can occur in the blink of an eye. Easy to remove and susceptible to punctures, water wings are not indestructible.
“Water wings assist new swimmers”
While it’s true, that water wings can provide a new swimmer with confidence without being cumbersome, they can also hinder a child’s swimming development. Arm floats condition kids to float vertically as they balance their body in the pool using just their arms instead of the proper swimming position that promotes effective breathing and torso balance control needed to swim safely and confidently. Avoiding dependency on water wings means avoiding dependency on “arms only floating”, in place of swimming.
“Water wings help kids maneuver around the pool easily”
Water wings not only promote ineffective vertical positioning in the water but also make it difficult for a child to move or paddle around the pool due to the counter-intuitive angle of the child’s arm while in floats. The placement of water wings can make it hard for a child to roll over if they do end up face down in the water.
“Water wings have no place in the pool”
As we’ve mentioned above water wings are not recommended to keep your child safe but can also instill confidence at the same time. We admit this can be a confusing mix of information. Ultimately the primary thing to remember for parents and guardians who choose to use water wings is not to rely on the floats as a safety mechanism. This means:
- Getting your child comfortable with being in the pool without floats
- Practicing touch supervision whenever your child is in the water
- Have your child spend time underwater
- Enroll your child in swimming lessons to develop both confidence and skill in the water
Deciding to give up water wings?
Opt for life jackets instead. Recommended and approved as the go-to personal floatation device, Coast Guard-approved life jackets are the safer option (and should always be paired with child supervision). Other floatation devices TO NOT USE include pool noodles, Swim rings, Inflatable tubes & floats, Inflatable rafts
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