/ Safety

National Water Safety Month

May is recognized across the swimming community as National Water Safety Month! According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, learning to swim should be a priority for every family as it plays a key role in drowning prevention. Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1-4 (except for birth defects), and it is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1-14 after motor vehicle crashes.

Here are some additional water safety tips for parents to teach their kids while at home.

Drowning is Often Silent

Dramatized TV shows and movies taught us to believe that drowning is highly visible, with a struggling swimmer waving, splashing, and yelling for help. In reality, drowning is a deceptively silent event.

A person struggling in water usually can’t call for help because their respiratory system is too busy trying to breathe. They can rarely wave their arms for attention as the body’s instinct is to push down on the water to come up for air. It’s important to be able to recognize the signs of drowning.

Key Water Safety Month Tips:

We will cover these topics further in the article, but here are some quick tips and things you should know about how to be water safe at home. Remember the acronym “SAFER”.

S

Swim with a buddy and make sure there is always a Water Watcher to ensure maximum safety.

A

Acquire first aid and CPR training so you know what to do in case of an emergency.

F

Find and reduce water hazards. Things like toys in the water can actually be very dangerous, so keep that in mind.

E

Enroll in swimming lessons. Swimming Lessons are very important for water safety.

R

Respond fast and call 911 for emergencies. Always keep an eye out and stay vigilant when near the water.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind when near the water.

  1. Supervision: Even when a lifeguard is on duty, supervising your child is always the smart move. A lifeguard has many swimmers to watch, but if you’re just keeping an eye on your own, you’re more likely to catch an emergency while it’s happening and take the necessary steps to keep everyone safe.
  2. Swimming Skills: If a child falls into the pool by accident, you want to make sure they have the best possible swimming skills. Keeping up with lessons at Big Blue Swim School will help your children gain those potentially lifesaving skills.
  3. Use of Safety Gear: Life jackets and pool fences are life-saving tools. When used properly, they can keep your child safe. Whether you’re at a water park or swimming at home, it's essential for any non-independent swimmer to wear a life jacket.
  4. Emergency Preparedness: If you know how to administer CPR, you’re one step closer to creating a safer pool environment. Accidents happen even if your child is a skilled swimmer, so be sure to take the necessary classes to learn CPR.

Designate a Water Watcher

Safety during swim lessons at Big Blue Swim School

During swim lessons at Big Blue Swim School, we always have our eyes on the students, no matter their age or ability. Parents must do the same and pay close and constant attention to kids when they are in or near water, even if a lifeguard is on duty. Safekids.org recommends assigning responsible adults to serve as Water Watchers, taking shifts of set times and rotating out to prevent fatigue.

The Water Watcher should be within reach of kids and continuously scan the water, even if a lifeguard is present. We encourage parents to teach kids that they should never go near water without an adult with them. However, if children fail to follow the rules, helping them gain vital skills through swimming lessons can improve their chances of survival.

Secure Pool and Open Water Areas

Be sure to restrict access to any pool, hot tub or body of water near and in your house. Keep fences and pool gates secure. Self-locking gates and doors that lock and can be alarmed are best.

Be sure to keep up on the maintenance so everything is working correctly. Put away any toys or other objects that could be appealing to children.

Wear a Proper Life Jacket

One easy thing to do to help keep kids stay safe around water is to require non-independent swimmers to wear a properly fitted life jacket, even if a child isn’t swimming. Here’s what to look for in a life jacket:

  • It should stay under a child’s chin when they lift their arms over their head
  • The straps should be tightened until the jacket is snug
  • The weight range for the jacket should be appropriate for the child’s size
  • The jacket should be approved by the U.S. Coast Guard, which will be stated on the packaging

While life jackets help keep kids afloat, they are not a substitute for adult supervision.

Get Certified and Know What to Do

Taking a CPR class and updating your skills regularly is another layer of swim safety that parents should consider. Consider posting CPR instructions at your own pool or water access point in case of emergency.

The American Red Cross offers these five tips if you see a distressed swimmer:

  1. Shout for help.
  2. Rescue and remove the person from the water ONLY if you can do so without putting yourself in danger.
  3. Call or tell someone nearby to call 911.
  4. Begin rescue breathing and CPR.
  5. Use an AED if available, and you've been trained to use it, then transfer care to advanced life support.

Swimming Skills

Ensuring your child has the proper swimming skills is vital to staying secure during, before, and after May—Water Safety Month. Bringing them to swimming lessons can make all the difference in safety.

Come to Big Blue Swim School for lessons designed to help you and your child feel more confident around a body of water. While there’s no way to guarantee water safety, there are plenty of ways to improve swimming skills, and Big Blue Swim School can help.

How Big Blue Supports Water Safety

We understand every parent's fear of a child experiencing a water emergency. It's why we're passionate about teaching the life-saving skill of swimming. Your child’s health and safety are our top priorities.

Year-round, continuous swim lessons are among the best tools for parents interested in safer swimming. Starting with infants at 3 months, our swim lessons are designed to help build the skills to propel a child independently through the water to safety.

We want to emphasize that there is no such thing as being "water safe,” but with proper instruction, everyone can be safer. That’s why we feel so passionate about what we do at Big Blue Swim School. Knowing how to swim is a critical life-saving skill, and we want every child to have an opportunity to learn.

To learn more about Big Blue Swim School, visit our website.