Pool And Water Safety Rules All Parents Should Know

A swimming pool is a great house addition and can provide you and your kids with a lot of fun. It is a wonderful environment where you and your family can spend quality time together by playing in the water or sunbathing.

Not only that owning a swimming pool provides your family with a fun environment but it can also encourage physical activity. Swimming can have a huge positive impact on your child’s healthy growth and development because it is a full-body exercising. Swimming promotes healthy bones, muscles, lungs, and heart.

However, despite all the benefits of owning a swimming pool, it can also be a dangerous environment for your kids. There are many pool hazards and accidents that may happen and put your child’s safety and well-being in danger. Here are the pool and water safety rules that all parents should know to keep their kids safe and healthy during the summer season:

Have strict pool rules

The first step into keeping your child safe during summer around the pool is to have a set of strict rules. Kids perceive playing in the pool as a fun and entertaining activity but often neglect the risk of hazards that may happen. Thus, as a parent, it is your responsibility to keep your child safe and inform them about how to avoid exposing themselves to any risk. Consider any rules that may keep your child safe in the water and clearly explain to them why it is important for them to respect them.

Pool rules can prevent pool accidents from happening. You should explain to your child why they should not get into the pool and avoid the pool area when you are not around. Also, another important pool rule would be for your kids to avoid shallow areas when diving.

Teach your child to also have respect for other swimmers when they are in the water. Explain to them why forcing someone who fears water to get into the pool or keeping someone under the water might lead to a bad scenario.

Don’t leave kids alone in the pool

Swimming, splashing, diving, and playing in the water seem so fun for your kids. But you know that many bad accidents can happen which can lead to injuries or, even worse, drowning. No matter if your child has swimming skills or seems to feel very confident in the water, you should never leave them alone in the pool.

Pool accidents are very difficult to anticipate and prevent unless you are constantly supervising your child. Thus, if you have to leave inside or do something that will require your focus, ask your kids to get out of the pool until you will be able to keep an eye on them.

Take your kids to swimming lessons

Swimming lessons should be considered a health-care priority for kids. Not only that swimming has many health benefits but it can also improve your child’s safety in the pool.  Even if you don’t live in an area close to the water or don’t own a swimming pool, your child will end up next to the water at some point in their life.

Unfortunately, drowning is one of the leading causes of injury-related death in children. Taking your child to swimming lessons is the first step to help them be safe and confident in the water. You will no longer have to worry that your child will be exposed to the risk of drowning.

Don’t neglect pool maintenance

Pool maintenance is certainly an important aspect not only for the aesthetics of your swimming pool but also for your child’s safety and wellbeing. Keeping the pool clean is the best way to protect your kids from the spread of germs and prevent outbreaks. Pool chemicals are an essential element of the process of pool maintenance because they help with the disinfection process and improve water quality.

It is important to regularly check the pool chemistry and the pH and chlorine level during summer to ensure that the water quality is safe for your kids. The water chemistry can be checked with testing strips that will measure the pH and chlorine value. Also, you should keep your water crystal-clear by adding a flocculant in the water to take all debris and dirt particles and take them to the bottom of your swimming pool.

Beware sun safety

Summer season is the perfect time for enjoying the warm weather by the pool. Sun exposure is extremely beneficial because it allows our bodies to make vitamin D and absorb calcium.

However, you should never forget about the risks of prolonged sun exposure. Your kids may insist on spending the entire day in the water because they are having a lot of fun. However, this can lead to severe dehydration and sunburns. Sun exposure without protection can cause a multitude of unpleasant injuries and symptoms.

Make sure you keep your kids away from the sun when the UV rays are the strongest. Also, you should ensure that they wear a hat and sunscreen when spending their day by the pool to prevent getting sunburns.

Keep the pool area safe

Is your child old enough to start crawling outside? Then it is time for you to install a safety pool fence to prevent them from falling in the pool. supervising your child every second of the day is really challenging when you are also busy with house chore. However, it only takes a few seconds for them to get too close to the pool and fall into it. Surrounding your swimming pool with a safety fence will ensure that your child won’t be able to get near the area of the pool when you are not around. 

Pool and water safety need to be taken very seriously by parents. Swimming and playing in the water can be very fun until an accident happens and puts your child’s safety at risk. In order to keep your kids safe in the pool, pay extra attention to them and secure the pool area when you are not around.