Water Safety for Kids

Here in Florida, drowning is the number one cause of death for kids under the age of 4. That number is 2 and a half times higher than any other state in the nation. Florida is consistently number one in drowning deaths for children. The reason, there are so many family homes with a residential swimming pool and protective measures are not being taken to ensure water safety for kids. Children can suffer long-term brain damage when submerged anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. There are numerous baby products available that parents should consider keeping around the pool during the swimming season to ensure a safe and enjoyable time for all concerned.

Florida state law requires homeowners with a swimming pool to have at least one of the following:

The pool must be isolated from neighboring homes; have an approved pool cover; have an alarm installed on all doors and windows that provide access to the swimming pool;have a self latching device, at least 54 inches above the floor, installed on doors that have direct access to the swimming pool.

Active supervision is key to water safety for kids. Swimming pool safety, or a swimming pool safety alarm, mean nothing without active responsible adult supervision.

The American Academy for Pediatrics recommends teaching your kids to swim at 4 years old. The academy also warns parents these courses are no guarantee of preventing an accident in the swimming pool. Learning how to administer CPR is also highly recommended. Put water safety for kids on top of your summer priority list and increase everyone's enjoyment of the family swimming pool.

Water Safety for Kids

The small child wandered quietly out of the living room, walked 10 or 15 feet across the patio and slipped quietly into the family swimming pool. "Our sliding glass doors were open and the pool is so close to the kitchen I don't know how he could have made it that far without me hearing him". Sound familiar? Happens everyday during the swimming season and that's how parents describe a child drowning or near-drowning. Rescue personnel say all parents describe the scene in the same way..."We never heard him get into the pool and slip under the water". The summer swimming season is upon us and those of us with our own swimming pools must keep water safety for kids at the top of the priority list.

Experts advise using different layers of protection, beginning with pool fencing at least 4 feet high, closing off access to the pool from the house and other play areas. A pool fence should have a self-closing and self-locking gate. A gate release mechanism should be at least 54 inches off the ground.

Utilizing a swimming pool safety alarm, activated when anything weighing more than 3 pounds enters the water, is another water safety for kids measure recommended by the experts. Also, all windows and doors that provide access to the pool should be outfitted with exit alarms. Experts all agree, the more child barriers to the pool, the better.

During pool parties and family gatherings, an adult should always be designated as pool guardian. That person agrees to keep his or her eyes on swimming pool safety at all times until relieved by another adult. Active, responsible, and sober supervision is the key to water safety for kids.

Keep rescue equipment, such as, a long pole and a life preserver, within easy reach. Make sure your cellphone and/or land-line phone is also within easy reach when you're supervising the kids. Not just to call 911 during an emergency. Many kids have drowned or nearly so because an otherwise responsible adult had to walk in the house "real quick" to answer the telephone.

Last but not least, all adults with their own pool should learn CPR. Classes are available in all cities and when it comes to water safety for kids, every measure should be taken to keep them out of harm's way and increase their's and ours enjoyment of the swimming pool.

Water Safety for Kids

Summer is bearing down and the swimming pool is almost swimmable. Not counting the grandkids. They've been swimming in our pool since the middle of April. Me, my wife, and every other adult that visits our home is waiting on that magic 85 degree water temperature. Kids are indestructable. Almost. Our granddaughter is coming to visit in about a week. She's not quite two years old and doesn't know how to swim...yet. Her parents and my wife and I will keep her safe. We are all big believers in water safety for kids, but statistics show that most accidents happen while the kids are being supervised by the parents.

A small child can fall in the pool and possibly drown in less time that it takes to answer the phone. All parents know how quickly children can disappear, even when it seems as if they're right underfoot. At 23 months old, our granddaughter can hide behind the dog. As much as we are looking forward to her visit, we are experiencing a little anxiousness at keeping her out of harm's way. We don't have any safety features around our pool, because it's usually just my wife and I swimming or just lounging around our pool deck. Swimming pool safety is not something that comes to mind when it's just us. The oldest grandkids, eight and ten, can swim like fish. Our only supervision over them involves separating them occasionally when an argument(?) gets to loud.

I've looked at a lot of material covering swimming pool safety without actually buying anything. Swimming pool alarms are a terrific way to protect the little one, but the downside is...when the alarm sounds off, something has happened. Pool fences prevent access to the pool by small children, but by the time they start first grade they'll figure out a way to get past the fence. Kids are creative that way. Pool covers won't keep the kid out of the pool, but it will keep 'em out of the water...along with everyone else.

Personally, I still like the swimming pool safety alarm idea even though it's main function is to let you know that your child has fallen into the water. The pool fence enclosing the pool will prevent toddlers from getting to close to the water, but they're restrictive. The oldest grandkids would pitch a fit about a pool cover, then turn it into a trampoline.

For my own peace of mind, I gotta go with a pool alarm. Even if she gets out of sight, we'll know the instant she falls into the water. During her visit, swimming pool safety is gonna be at the top of the priority list.

Water Safety for Kids

My oldest son celebrated his 35th birthday last Sunday. While discussing how old he'd gotten, I asked him if he would be able to bring his family down during his vacation. My wife and I live in southwest Florida and he lives in Tennessee. His little girl will be 2 years old in June and I wanna make sure I'm current on water safety for kids so she can enjoy our pool.

While browsing thru various catalogs for child water safety, I realized my wife and I have quite a few swimming pool toys, but nothing about water safety for kids.


Each year about 300 children under the age of 5 drown in residential or family pools. Approximately 75% of these children are between the ages of 1 and 3 years old. Another 2000 children are treated in emergency rooms related to swimming pool accidents. Two year olds are notorious for disappearing the moment your head is turned and our granddaughter is no exception.

Now, all of a sudden my attention is turned toward water safety for kids and I could really use some baby advice. Probably, the best item to keep a 2 year old from wandering off into the pool during an unguarded moment is a swimming pool fence. I say probably because this will be our first experience worrying about a toddler falling into our pool.

Swimming pool fences come in various styles,materials, and heights. After looking into different types of fences, I like the removable mesh design the best. The fence is installed with removable sections held by safety latches at the top. This makes removal and reinstallation a breeze.

Floating pool alarms are a great safety feature to have for that little one that gets thru the fence. Underwater alarms are activated when anything weighing 15 lbs. or more falls into your pool. Perimeter sensors sound the alarm when a child or pet approaches the pool. There is a system utilizing a wristband for the child and a base setup for Mom and Dad. As long as your child is wearing the wristband it is on and will sound an alarm the second it enters the water.

My wife and I are looking forward to a visit from our granddaughter, but we want to make sure she will be safe while enjoying our swimming pool. All of these products will help to keep a child out of trouble around the swimming pool, but the only way to ensure water safety for kids around the swimming pool is, constant supervision from Mom,Dad, and/or the grandparents.

Water Safety for Kids

So, I decided to make a blog about where to find the baby's first toys.
Becoming a grandfather will do that to you. Naturally, my wife had to read my post when she got home from work.

"Honey", she said, that's real good, but what makes you think you know anything about buying the baby's first toys?
She then went on to explain how a newborn baby can't see past the end of his nose and the only toys he has right now are: Mom and Grandma.

In that order.

Who knew?

After not disagreeing with my wife, (always a good idea), I said I meant when they got to be around three months old or something like that. Threw that one out there just to see how it would float.

We both agreed I'm kinda clueless when it comes to buying anything for a baby, especially their first toys. What I needed were some baby gift ideas.
While pondering this significant piece of information, it hit me!
My wife and I have a large inground swimming pool at our house along with a hot tub right on the pool deck.


Let's get this kid in the water early and often. Her daughter's son is
three months old so that's the perfect time frame.

There's lots of baby products out there related to swimming. There's those little blow-up things you put around their arms to keep 'em from turning into a submarine. You can get a little toy boat with a rope on it so Mom and Grandma can pull the little tyke around the pool. Give the kid a sense of swimming and get one of those little rafts for him to lay on. They also come with a rope.
But, in my humble opinion, the absolute best toy is an inner tube looking thing with straps on the bottom running front to back and side to side. The baby sits down in this toy, held by the straps, while his little legs dangle in the water and he sits there all fat and happy.

Our local pool supply store carries all these baby toys. My wife and I never get out of there without picking something up for the grandkids.

Water Safety for Kids

When my son first became a father, he had no idea where to find the baby's first toys.

For one thing, he's a sports nut and his first baby turned out to be a little girl. Sure, girls love
sports too, but all he could think about was how would he know if his choices for the baby's first toys would be the right choices.

Fortunately, (for him & the baby), mom took the situation in hand and made the decisions for him, which is what all good moms do anyway.