May is Water Safety Month, a great time to review the best ways to keep your children safe in the water this summer. Drowning remains the leading cause of unintentional injury related death for children ages 1-4 — a heartbreaking statistic.
SafeSplash and SwimLabs swim schools want to provide you with tips to help keep your children safe. Our mission is to save lives through swim lessons so we can help reduce that statistic.
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Always designate a Water Watcher.
A "Water Watcher" is a designated adult who is responsible for watching the pool at all times. When you’re at a pool with family and friends or even in the backyard with a kiddie pool or water slide, it’s easy to assume that someone is watching the water.
Often, everyone assumes someone else will take charge. Before you let anyone in the water, assign adults 15-minute shifts to be watching the water. This simple strategy will keep all the children safer.
Teach children water safety and swimming skills as early as possible.
Did you know that formal swimming lessons reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%? That’s huge!
At SwimLabs and SafeSplash, we start swim lessons as early as 6 months old! By getting your kiddos in the water at this young age, they can learn to love and respect the water from infancy, which will help them understand their limitations and want to learn more sooner!
And, parents, it’s never too late to learn to swim. Whether you have a fear of the water or would like to strengthen your swim skills, we can help you as well.
Don’t use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
Many parents or guardians think because their kid has water wings, puddle jumpers or a safety vest on, they are “good to go.” When in fact, that is quite wrong.
While flotation devices offer some security, children wearing them also have a false sense of confidence and may make riskier decisions while wearing or using these devices. This could put them in a harmful, unsafe situation.
Life jackets certainly have their place… on a boat, paddle boarding, and even in the pool. Just remember that — no matter what — an adult who knows how to swim must always be watching the pool.
Follow safety rules: no running, pushing, dunking or breath-holding contests.
It’s fun to play around with your friends at the pool but it’s critical that you remember to follow safety rules around water because someone could get seriously hurt. Some games that seem harmless could turn into a life-threatening issue quickly.
Breath-holding contests and dunking can disguise serious situations as fun and games. Make sure to remind your kids and their friends of these rules before they head to the pool!
Always swim with a buddy.
Did you know that drowning is quick and silent? It can happen in as little as 20-60 seconds and it doesn’t always look like we would expect with loud screaming and splashes. That's why it's important to always swim with a buddy!
Before you enter the water, make sure there is always a friend nearby to look out for you and call for help if needed. And, this rule applies to all swimmers — even strong, confident adult swimmers. Remember, never swim alone!
Wait for an adult before entering the pool.
Whether your kiddo is a new swimmer or an advanced swimmer, no child is ever fully water safe. The goal of swim lessons is to make children SAFER in, on, and around water. There are always unknown circumstances that could leave a child in danger around the water so it’s critical that there is an adult nearby that can help.
Refresh your skills each season.
Don’t forget to refresh your child's swim skills before each pool season. If you haven’t been practicing skills year-round, it’s common for children to regress during the off-season. If you’re not already enrolled, jump start your family's water safety skills now. Being a strong, confident, and efficient swimmer is one of the most effective water safety precautions you can take. Stay safe and see you at the pool!
SafeSplash Castle Rock, SafeSplash Lone Tree/Parker, and SwimLabs Highlands Ranch are currently offering limited private and semi-private lessons to help get kiddos back in the pool. Whether you are looking for water safety lessons or stroke work for your swimmers whose swim seasons have been cancelled give us a call today!
To see the COVID-19 protocols we are instilling in our facilities, please visit our websites.
Why SafeSplash and SwimLabs?
SafeSplash Swim Schools in Castle Rock and Lone Tree/Parker and SwimLabs Highlands Ranch provide year-round swim instruction and stroke technique refinement starting from Parent-Tot classes. We offer a fun, safe environment complete with warm water pools, climate-controlled viewing areas, and family-friendly changing rooms.
Our highly trained and qualified instructors will take your little fish learning bubbles to butterfly. We offer a positive, fun experience with the ultimate goal of helping our swimmers become safe, happy, confident, lifelong swimmers. We offer unparalleled customer service, family first convenience, individual attention, passionate instructors, cutting-edge curriculum, and exceptional value.
Call us today and see what makes us different!
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