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By admin October 22, 2019
Are you ready to teach your kids how to swim?
There are many benefits to getting your kids in the pool for lessons.
Kids love to explore the world around them because they are naturally inquisitive. This characteristic is important for a child to learn and develop. But they can be vulnerable to accidents at the same time.
Swimming and water safety bodies like the Australian Swim School Association understands the importance of keeping your kids safer and work towards swimming pool safety and the necessary equipment that can be used.
Pool safety is becoming integrated into many Australian school curriculums to help educate younger children about the risks involved in swimming. Best not to wait till then though!
But are you completely on top of your pool safety needs?
With proper understanding, families can introduce this type of learning into the family home. It’s important for pool safety to be taught especially in homes where a pool is available for use.
The application of layers of protection is the most effective way to protect children from drowning:
Layer #1 – Constant, Adult Supervision
Layer #2 – Barriers and Fencing
Layer #3 – Swimming Skills
Layer #4 – Emergency Action Plans
With these layers in mind, here’s everything you need to know about pool safety in 2019 and beyond.
It’s not possible to supervise your kids 24/7.
Whether you are engaged in another task, distracted by another child or sleeping, you cannot ignore the responsibility of caring for your children.
So, there is a variety of safety precautions you can put into place to minimise the risk of incidents in and around the pool. Some of these include:
There isn’t a substitute for constant adult supervision though pool safety equipment will offer some peace of mind.
Although not a physical form of protection, supervision becomes one of the most important tools of monitoring child pool activity.
This is reinforced by Sydney marketer and father of one, Jeremy Rorich. He explains “my son recently turned 1 and suddenly the whole world has opened up to him. He’s curious about everything and I love to let him wander and explore. When we go to relative’s houses where there is a pool though, there’s no shaking the concern. This is a feeling all new Mums and Dads have no doubt. I’m a fan of technology, but for me, nothing beats supervision. If I’m with him, it means he’s being looked after.”
Consider the following pool safety advice for the ultimate safety of your children:
Learning to swim is an important step in every child’s life so it’s important to educate them from a young age.
According to the expert counsellors from Thinking Families; “swimming keeps improves your child’s physical health such as strength and flexibility, however mentally it improves their confidence, social skills and communication development within their surroundings.”
These are all important tips to consider to enhance the swimming pool safety for your kids.
Pool fences or gates are some of the safest investments to protect your kids from wandering into the pool area.
These are physical barriers that offer effective pool security and prevent your kids from accessing the pool area when you don’t want them to do so.
Pool covers may help too; and there are many reasons to cover your pool:
After constant adult supervision, such barriers are the next line of defense against unwanted accidents and are required by law in many countries around the world.
A critical aspect for pool gates is that they have a secure self-closing and self-locking system.
Looking to learn more about how you can benefit from taking part in a nationally renowned swim safety program for both you and your family?
Find out more from the Australian Swim School Association here!
AUTHOR BIO: Thomas Wright
Our Purpose
Leadership through Inspiration, Advocacy and Service
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November 20, 2019 at 5:37 am
The Guidelines have been primarily designed for application in municipal owned public facilities. However, the Guidelines relate to all facilities in which members of the public are encouraged to attend for recreational, fitness or educational purposes. The Guidelines are intended to be voluntary, acting as a guide to operators on the safe operation of swimming facilities.