Protecting Your Kids Around a Swimming Pool: Safety Tips and Precautions

The summer season brings the joy of swimming, especially for families with children. While swimming pools offer a refreshing and enjoyable experience, they can also pose potential risks, particularly for young children. As a responsible parent or caregiver, it’s crucial to prioritize water safety tips and measures to ensure your children’s well-being around a swimming pool. 

The CDC reports that drowning is the second leading cause of death among children under the age of 14, and many of those drownings occur in residential pools. They also report that completely isolating a pool with a fence reduces the chance of drowning by 83%.

1. Supervision is Key

Never underestimate the importance of constant supervision when children are near a swimming pool. Active and vigilant adult supervision is vital, even if your child knows how to swim. Assign a designated adult who can focus solely on watching the children without distractions. Remember, accidents can occur in a matter of seconds, so remain present and attentive at all times.

2. Establish and Enforce Pool Rules

Setting clear pool rules is an effective way to ensure safety. Teach your children the importance of adhering to these rules and enforce them consistently. Some essential rules to consider include:

1. No swimming without adult supervision.

2. No running or pushing near the pool.

3. No dining in shallow areas.

4. No swimming during thunderstorms.

5. No swimming when the pool is closed. Teach your child what it means for the pool to “Be Closed.”

3.  Teach Your Children to Swim

Enrolling your children to Swimming lessons at an early age is an invaluable investment in their safety. Swimming lessons can help children become more comfortable and confident in the water, and they learn essential skills like floating, treading water, and basic strokes. However, remember heat swimming lessons alone do not guarantee safety, so always accompany your child while they are in or around the pool.

4. Install and Maintain Pool Barriers

Creating barriers around your pool is crucial to prevent unsupervised access, especially for young children. Consider installing a fence with a self-latching gate that is at least 4 feet high, CA has recently moved requirements to 5 feet high for caregivers. Ensure that the fence has no openings that a child could squeeze through. Additionally, pool alarms and safety covers are useful tools to provide an extra layer of protection. Regularly inspect and maintain these barriers to ensure their effectiveness. Let’s go over a few:

1. The latest in technology is surveillance. The SwamCam swimming pool alarm for inground pools and above ground pools offers Human detection alarm: It uses AI motion detection to provide alarm and smart phone alerts of human entry before a potential drowning occurs. Other features are Alarm sounds in all locations, Live video surveillance, Convenient smartphone alerts.

2. Pool Fence: Even if your yard is fenced off for added security people like to add a removable mesh fence directly around the pool. This type of fence can be easily removed when you're having a party or family gathering. I know grandparents that keep one stored away until the grandkids come for the weekend. You can have them professionally installed or if you're a little handy you can install them yourself. Maybe even invite that handy friend over and fire up the BBQ, tell him to bring his family and let them swim while you two get to work.

My one recommendation as a pool professional is to spend a few extra bucks and give yourself some walking room around the pool while the fence is up. This makes weekly cleaning easier and convenient.

3. Swimming Pool Alarms: Some mount easily to the side of the pool and others you simply drop in and let them float. They sense movement of the water and sound an alarm. Do to false alarms from small animals and windy days good ones have an adjustable sensitivity sensor to reduce false alarms. They work in any type, shape of pool or spa but larger pools may require two or more detectors. They should also come with an in house remote receiver. 

4. Pool Safety Covers: These are the high strength mesh covers that stretch across the pool and hook to anchors in the ground. They should be strong enough for pets and children to walk across. They should be professionally installed but if you are a little handy and want to save some money you can install them yourself. 

Direct links to these products and more are available under pool supplies. Look for safety equipment.

5. Learn CPR and First Aid

Accidents can happen despite our best efforts. Being prepared with the knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic first aid can be lifesaving during critical moments. Enroll in a certified CPR and first aid course, and encourage other caregivers or family members to do the same. It’s a good idea to get a group of friends who have kids to all take a course together to help make it fun. You can even hire a professional to come out to your house and teach you and invite your friends and family to join you and offset the costs. Quick response and appropriate action can significantly improve the outcome of an emergency situation.

6. Equip Your Pool Area with Safety Equipment

Ensure that your pool area is well-equipped with essential safety equipment. Items such as life jackets, reaching poles (has no retractable handle that can slide out and fall off while pulling someone from the water and has a hook at the end), rescue tubes, and a first aid kit should be easily accessible. You can also add a pre assembled pool rope with floats that separates the shallow end of the pool from the deep end of the pool. Most plaster pools have little hooks built into the plaster at this point. Educate yourself and your family members on how to use these items effectively in case of an emergency. 

7. Educate Your Children about Water Safety

Teaching your children about water safety is an ongoing process. Educate them about the dangers associated with water and the importance of following safety guidelines. Teach them how to enter and exit the pool safely, never to swim alone, and the significance of respecting pool rules. Encouraging open communication and addressing any questions or concerns they may have can help reinforce their understanding.

Conclusion

Ensuring the safety of your children around a swimming pool requires a combination of precautionary measures, supervision, and education. By implementing the tips mentioned above, you can create a safe environment that allows your family to enjoy the pleasures of swimming while minimizing potential risks. Remember, water safety is a shared responsibility, and by taking proactive steps, you can protect your children and promote a fun and secure swimming experience for everyone.