Here are 11 Ways to Keep the Family Water Safe This Year
There is a list of basic life skills all parents instinctively know they must teach their children to keep them safe and healthy. It includes habits like looking both ways before you cross the street, washing your hands with soap and water and eating the right amount of fruits and vegetables every day. For too many parents, safety in and around water is not on the list; and that’s something we need to change. Drowning is one of the leading causes of preventable death in children and the YMCA believes that learning to swim is a critical life skill. If children know how to stay safe in and around water, swimming can be a lifelong source of fun and exercise. Instead of keeping your children away from water, help them learn fundamental water safety skills. Here’s what you can do to keep your family water safe: 1. Always supervise children near or in the water: in the pool or at the beach. 2. Be careful when swimming near strong currents in the ocean. It only takes a second to be swept away. 3. Do not allow children to dive in head first unless they are properly trained and the water is deep enough. 4. Ensure non-swimmers always wear a PFD when near or in the water. 5. Make sure the entire family learns to swim! 6. Never leave a child unattended in the bathtub. Drowning can occur in just two inches of water. 7. Make sure children play with care and understand the dangers. Even the friendliest dunking game can end badly. 8. Don’t use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision. Make sure an adult is watching at all times. 9. Be proactive and get trained in First Aid and CPR. 10. If you have a swimming pool, make sure your children cannot get into the pool area by having proper fencing and a childproof gate. 11. Lifejackets have weight limits. Make sure your lifejacket is comfortable and light, fits snug and does not ride above your ears.
Get your children water safe by taking swim lessons at the YMCA.
Learn more about swim lessons at the Y
Sign up for a FREE water safety class at the YMCA
FREE water safety class registration
Get Children can learn more about water safety through this water safety colouring book.
download a water safety activity book