Did you know that drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1-4 years old? These children are most likely to drown in a swimming pool. Swimming pool deaths are entirely preventable.
Even if you don’t have toddlers or older children of your own, it’s still necessary to take safety precautions for guests or other children who might swim in your pool. Keep reading for some tips for pool safety for toddlers.
Pool Safety for Toddlers: How to Prevent Drowning
Some simple steps that parents and caregivers can take could prevent drownings. Pool safety combined with vigilance will ensure that your children and guests are safe in your pool.
1. Teach Your Kids to Swim
Enrolling your kids in swimming classes at the earliest reasonable age (some experts say that kids as young as 1 should start taking swim lessons) is a smart idea. Learning how to swim, what to do if they fall in a pool, how to float, and how to tread water are skills that children should have, especially if they have a pool at home.
However, it’s important to remember that even if your child does know how to swim, they should not be left unattended in the pool or around the pool.
2. Install a Safety Fence
A child safety fence around the pool that is between 4 and 5 feet high, has a locking mechanism, and has a gate that will close and latch on its own is necessary. The lock should be out of the reach of kids and if there is a key, it should not be left in the lock.
In addition to a fence around the pool, homeowners might consider a fence around the entire yard as well. This would keep any children out of the pool area and add an additional layer of protection.
3. Install an Underwater Motion Alarm
An underwater motion alarm is preferable to one that goes off when there is any movement on the surface of the water. A surface alarm could be set off by wind, a leaf, or bug and has more false alarms. One that goes off when there is motion under the water is less likely to have a false alarm.
4. Identify a Water Guardian
Drownings often happen when adults assume other adults are watching the children. There are many stories of children drowning among many adults. Because no one person has been tasked with watching the children in the pool, adults think someone else is doing it.
The water guardian should not have any distractions such as a cell phone, drink, people to talk to, etc. They should be focused solely on watching the children in the water.
5. Learn Lifesaving Skills
If you have a pool or a toddler learning to swim, lifesaving skills such as CPR could save your child.
If your child is drowning, the most important thing you can do is to pull him or her from the water and start CPR immediately. You should also have a phone nearby to call 911 in the event of an emergency.
The Take-Away Message
Drownings are preventable. When planning for your new pool, you should consider pool safety as well. Use these tips for pool safety for toddlers to keep your youngest swimmers safe.
To learn more about pools and pool safety, check out some of our other blog posts. If you’re ready to get the ball rolling on your own pool installation, contact us today for your free estimate and consultation.
