On a hot summer’s day, there’s no nicer place to be than around the water where you can cool off from the blazing sun. Unfortunately, water can pose a danger to children if parents neglect proper safety precautions. Every year, almost 1,000 children die from drowning, often in their own backyard swimming pools, reports Kids Health. The following tips will help you keep your kids safe wherever they play this summer.
1. Supervise Children at All Times
Never leave a child of any age unsupervised around water, stresses Safe Kids Worldwide. Give your kids your full attention whenever they are near water by avoiding other distractions.
2. Make Your Home Swimming Pool Safe
Install a fence at least 4 feet high that surrounds your pool completely to separate the water from your home and the rest of your yard, advises the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate. The fence should include an outward-opening, self-closing gate that children cannot unlatch. If you have young children, consider additional security features, such as automatic door locks and an alarm system. You should also keep a life preserver and telephone near the pool at all times for emergencies.
3. Teach Your Kids to Swim
Children above the age of four should take swimming classes with a qualified instructor, recommends Kids Health. However, even if your children are competent swimmers, they should only enter the water under supervision. An adult should always be in the water within arm’s reach of young children.
4. Choose a Suitable Place to Swim
If you’re taking a trip to a beach or lake, swim only in designated areas and choose sites where lifeguards are present, advises the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate. Children should never enter the water alone.
It’s also important to make sure your kids are fully protected from the sun whenever they’re around water. Water reflects the sun’s rays and makes them more intense. Kids should use sunscreen with a high SPF and wear children’s sunglasses that protect against UVA and UVB rays at all times.
You can find sunglasses with 100 percent UVA and UVB protection designed just for kids on the Real Kids website. Pick up a pair or two for your kids today!