Water Safety a Year Round Concern
As an Entrepreneur Stay at Home Dad water safety is a huge concern to me. I am co-founder of Virtually Famous Marketing and run a good sized “family of websites”. Each day I get many different press releases on a variety of topics. Today I got one about water safety, which is of HUGE interest to me since I am in the process of teaching 22 month old Ava Kalea how to swim. If you have young children, this will be of interest to you too!
“Children can drown in in-ground pools any time of year,” says Marlene Bloom — co-founder of Baby Otter Swim School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) and Baby Otter Andre Dawson Aquatic Center (Chicago, Illinois). “And bathtubs, toilets, and buckets of water can also pose risks, especially for very young children.”
Stay safe around water this summer and all year long with Marlene’s valuable tips about Water Safety:
- Keep in-ground pool water levels high year round. If a child falls into the pool and the water level is low, they won’t be able to climb out.
- Have a designated “watcher” who commits to staying free from distractions (i.e., no calls, no texting, no answering the door) while watching kids play in or around water.
- Have safety devices on hand at all times, whether at home, at a friend’s pool, or on vacation. Keep a shepherd’s hook, life vest, and life preserver within 4 feet of the designated watcher anytime people are swimming — and anywhere (pool, lake, ocean, etc.).
- Make sure you and everyone in your household (even kids) know how to operate the pool pump. It needs to be off before anyone enters the pool, and it needs to be shut off immediately before rescue can take place if someone has fallen in and become caught in it (i.e., hair, arm, leg). You can’t pull someone free if the pump is on, even if you’re very strong. Make sure it’s easily accessible and everyone knows how to use it.
- Get certified in CPR immediately and maintain your certification. Renew every year instead of every two years as required.
- Do not leave toys in the pool. Toys attract children and you do not want them to fall into the water while trying to reach for a toy. If a child falls into the water and there is a raft floating in it, your child can get caught under the raft and may not be able to get out of the water.
- Make sure all kids learn the “Turn, Kick, Reach” method. Even children under one can learn survival skills in case of an accidental fall into the water.
“People die of drowning every month, all year long,” says Marlene. “Together, we can stop this epidemic. All it takes is a commitment to safety and taking the time to learn how to swim. And that’s now easier than ever for adults who have never learned as well as kids as young as nine months thanks to the ‘Turn, Kick, Reach’ method — the world’s fastest learn-to-swim program.”
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