Posted on 05/01/2023
As summertime draws near, water becomes the center of so much fun! Whether your family enjoys spending time at the beach, a nearby creek, or a swimming pool in the backyard, it's a good idea to review water safety with your children at this time.
The number of drowning deaths is seven or eight times more than the amount of fire deaths. There are an average of 10 drowning deaths each day, or 3500 to 4000 deaths annually. For kids ages 1-4, drowning is the leading unintentional injury-related cause of mortality. The 23% of drownings that occur near swimming pools and at family gatherings may be the most shocking statistic. Even though adults may be there, a child may still be at risk despite the proximity of adults who might be engaged in conversation or engrossed in their mobile devices. It only takes 20 to 60 seconds to drown and die. The nonprofit Stop Drowning Now provides helpful water safety information, as well as other tools for raising the awareness regarding the dangers of drowning.
Here are a few steps toward helping ensure your family is safer when in the water:
Express Concerns
You might think it is obvious that kids should use caution around water. However, like with many other activities, inexperience and a lack of maturity put children at particular danger. We want to keep an eye out for them when they are near water and help them steer clear of serious dangers, but we can't always do that. As a result, parents need to take a multifaceted strategy, teaching their children both risk-avoidance strategies and emergency response techniques. Making it a family theme night with swimming suits, blue jello, fish crackers, and a water safety movie like this one would even be an option. Then, make sure you regularly quiz your children on water safety and how to assist someone in need.
Remove Hazards
One of the best methods to lowering your children's risk of drowning is to make sure they aren't exposed to any water hazards unattended, in addition to educating your older children about the dangers of drowning. If you have a swimming pool in your backyard, you need to make sure that it is enclosed by a pool safety fence with a self-latching gate. A safety fence is different from a privacy fence that you might have surrounding your entire yard. Other drowning risks to be aware of include water-filled buckets or kiddie pools, which are particularly dangerous for children under the age of 4.
Learn to Swim
Insisting that your children take swimming lessons can be a significant preventive strategy in addition to making sure your property is free of hidden or blatant threats. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), people who have had swimming lessons have an 88% lower chance of drowning than people who have not. The obvious explanation for this is that those who can swim well are more capable in the water, but there's more to it than that. Those who have more training and experience in the water have a greater understanding of its dangers.
Continue reading with Part 2.
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