How to Keep Your Kids Safe at Your Public Pool

Inform yourself and your child with these simple steps to make your trip to the pool or water park a safe one.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• swim goggles
• swim diaper
• lifejacket
• good attention

1. The first thing you should do before entering a pool is take a cleansing shower. Clean the areas where the swimsuit covers and then rinse off well. This helps keep the pool and its users safe.

2. If your child is new to the water or not an experienced swimmer, make sure a certified lifejacket is worn at all times. Swim lessons from a certified instructor allows you or your child to become comfortable in and around water. Your local community education or local YMCA make this very affordable and fit into anyones schedule.

3. If your child is not potty trained, make sure a swimmer or other swim diaper is worn and checked every 15 minutes. If they are potty trained, inform them it is not okay to go to the bathroom in the water. Make sure they go before they enter a pool and ask them every fifteen minutes if they need a potty break. Make the break fun so it will encourage them to use it.

4. Inform your child of pool rules which are posted at every pool. Don't spit water from their mouth, no running,don't play on the pools drain at the bottom, no diving, and using a buddy system are just a few. Prevention is the best way to keep your child and others safe. They will need to be reminded often.

5. If your child enjoys swimming under water, get them a pair of swim goggles. The most common way for a person to become ill in recreational water is by the water coming into contact with the mucas membranes. Your eyes, nose, and mouth. Chlorine takes awhile to kill certain bacteria so goggles are a good safety barrier and plus they look cool.

6. The best safety measure you as a parent can provide is to never take your eyes off of your child. Start off by bringing them to a pool that is staffed by a lifegaurd if possible. This doesn't mean you can drop off your child, still watch them constantly. It only takes a few seconds for something bad to happen. Make it a family outing and get in the water with them is always encouraged.

Tips & Warnings

• Not everyone using a pool knows of these simple steps to making it a safe outing so be an advocate of letting others know what you know. Start with lessons so they have a good foundation to start from. They will have more fun knowing how to swim.
• Drowning is preventable so please be careful and help others be safe.

[turtledove]

on 4/16/2009 Keep your children safe. Never take your eyes off of your child. Very true! 5*