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Children love to wander and explore and your pool can be the location of their next unsupervised adventure. It is a huge responsibility to keep children safe around a pool; kids could end up going for a swim with you inside the house unknowing of what they are doing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more children ages 1-4 die from droning than any other cause except birth defects. Every year in the United States there are an estimated 3,960 fatal inattentional drownings (11 per day) and 8,080 nonfatal drownings (22 per day). Proper supervision can prevent any harm from coming to your children while still allowing them to enjoy the pool. When you are not able to keep an eye on children you need to have precautions in place to avoid any potential danger. Below is a list of child safety tips that decreases the chances for any disasters to occur.

Learn Life Saving Skills

Knowing the basics of swimming can be a life saving skill. Listed below are some tips to keep you're children safe around and in the pool. 

Teach your children how to swim

• Knowing how to move through the water may save a child if they’ve fallen into the pool.
• Floating can also help prolong disaster until help arrives.

Learn CPR

•  CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation is also an important skill to be educated on; CPR can be life saving if someone begins to drown and needs the fluid cleared from their body.

Understanding the importance of adult supervision

• A drowning can happen without anyone hearing or seeing it. Watching your children swim should be your main priority when they are in the pool. Do not mow the lawn or do yardwork without supervising them properly.

Teach the buddy system

• A child should always have an adult buddy when they are planning on going swimming. Instilling this in your children will teach them what is an acceptable situation to be able to safely swim versus when it’s not. We know kids don’t always listen; make sure you still keep an eye on them so that they follow this rule.

Avoid alcohol while supervising

• Consuming alcohol impairs your senses and decision-making ability. Watching over your children while in this state is not safe at all. Feel free to enjoy alcoholic beverages by the pool while your kids are at a friend’s house.

Fencing the Pool 

Fences or gates can be the prime line of defense when it comes to pool safety. If your child cannot reach the pool they cannot unintentionally fall in when they are playing around the pool. There are many different versions of fences that are designed specifically for protecting your pool or even around the yard surrounding the pool.

 

Installing Alarms

There are several different types of alarms out there with slightly different functions depending on your needs and desires. They all have the ability to alert you whenever your kid either gets in or too close to your pool. I’ll go over a few different types so you can have a better understanding of what each type does and some of the differences between each kind.

Inground Pool Alarms

These alarms are designed specifically for inground pools. The Poolguard® Pool Alarm Inground Unit once installed in your pool will always be in alarm ready mode, anything as light as ten pounds will be detected and a powerful horn will be sounded to alert you of the movement.

Above Ground Alarms

Above ground alarms are specifically designed for above ground pools, they are even effective in quick set inflated pools as well. Similar to the inground pool alarms the Poolguard® Safety Buoy Pool Alarm is also tamper proof and will chirp if removed from the pool. On the other hand, this alarm has an automatic wake-up system that runs when installed in the pool. Included with this alarm is a receiver with a range of 200’.

Gate Alarms

If you want an alarm that alerts you before a child comes to close to your pool for comfort a gate alarm is a perfect add on if you are also going to install a fence or gate around your pool. The Poolguard Gate Alarm will sound in seven seconds when opened (even if it is closed after) and will not allow your gate to be left open in case of children wandering in. This extra level of protection can possibly stop the threat of danger before children can even reach the water.

Install Video Cameras

If you are nervous about not hearing the alarms you can also keep a watchful eye on your pool through the installation of a video camera that covers your pool area. You will be able to see if your children are getting too close to the edge for your liking and will be able to stop them before anything bad happens.

Have Flotation Devices

Flotation devices can help children gain confidence in the pool. They help prevent the weak swimmers and keep them afloat while they learn to swim. The risks of drowning are minimized but not completely gone, it is important to note that these are not safety devices. Although these flotation devices may help keep your child’s head above the water, they are not considered life jackets and are not a lifesaving device.

 

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/facts/index.html