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.