Swimming is a great activity – especially in the Oklahoma heat. While swimming may provide a temporary cool down and fun summer activity for the entire family, it also comes with risk.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 1-14 years old, and the fifth leading cause of people of all ages. Here are a few tips for staying safe around water this summer:
Keep Children within Arms Reach
Drowning can occur in as little as 10 seconds – keeping your children close to you at all times is an essential pool safety tip.
Use Inflatables with Caution
Inflatables can be a lot of fun for both kids and adults. However, it’s important to limit the number of inflatables in the pool at one time so you can easily see all the swimmers. It’s also important to stay alert as inflatable toys can overturn easily.
Establish Rules
Before heading to the pool, create some easy-to-remember pool safety rules with your children. Teach the importance of never running, pushing or jumping on others around water.
Feet First
Diving head-first into a shallow pool can result in significant neck and spinal injury. A feet first rule, especially down slides, will ensure that injuries like this are avoided.
Teach Your Kids to Swim
All children should learn to swim. Invest in swimming lessons to ensure your children are taught pool safety from an early age.
Instruct Your Children to Never Swim Alone
Children should always swim with an adult for safe supervision. Older, more experienced swimmers should also swim with a partner as well.
Be Prepared
Know what to do if an emergency arises – find the time to learn CPR. Keep emergency numbers and a phone close to the pool to call for help in the unlikely event of an emergency.
Do you remember the carefree days of childhood? Did you think to…
Creating and maintaining a personal financial budget is essential for…
When you are sick, you have no choice but to think about your health.…
Swimming is a great activity – especially in the Oklahoma heat. While…
It might seem early to start thinking about back-to-school shopping,…