In the Swim... with your Kids

Sue Ward,
KindyNews Swimming Coach

The most important safety tip, As our Swimming Coach Sue Ward reminds us, is being alert and knowing exactly where your child is at every moment. Here are some more:

•  Never leave children unsupervised near any body of water, even for a minute. A child can drown in less than 60 seconds.
• Keep your child at arms length (also known as “reach supervision”), ready to grab quickly if he or she suddenly takes off towards the pool or lake.
• Never leave an older child in charge of watching smaller children.
• Never depend on lifeguards alone to watch small children.
• If with a group, have one adult watching no more than two small children at a time.
• If several adults are taking turns watching the children, have something such as a whistle or a ribbon that can be passed from one adult to another, so there is no confusion as to who is “on guard”.
• Don’t get distracted. Even in a wading pool if you turn to talk to a friend, your toddler could slip under water.
• Don’t depend entirely on flotation devices that could deflate suddenly.
• If a child is missing, look in the water first. Seconds count in rescue efforts.

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Never leave children unsupervised near any body of water, even for a minute. A child can drown in less than 60 seconds.