Water Safety this Summer

Visiting a new pool this summer? 🌊🌊🌊

This is one of the scariest things I think about! While you may feel that your child is "water safe," part of it is because they are familiar with the pool that they are swimming in. When you go to a new pool the layout is different, the depths are different, there are more or new people in them, there may be blow-up toys in there (which should be banned IMO)...All of which can cause your child to no longer be "water safe."

I asked @lisafinebergcook from my favorite swim school @kidswimLA to give us some tips! 🏊‍♀️ 🏊‍♂️ 🏊‍♀️ .

1. Get familiar with the new pool: know where the steps & benches are, and shallow/deep ends

2. Remind your child "you may walk around the pool" and have them repeat it back if they able to

3. Remind your child the rules for jumping into the pool, have your child repeat the rules back to you

4. Go over how they climb out of the pool (elbow, elbow, tummy, push etc)

5. Never take your eyes off them

6. Have them practice jumping in and getting out a few times if they are advanced enough

For more advanced children I recommend this drill:

1) Jump into the deep end, tread for 30 seconds, roll on back to rest and then roll and swim to the side and get out.

2) 1st time you do this, be in water with them & talk them thru it, 2nd time in water but silent, 3rd time out of water, from a distance & silent (if they are over age of 5 & have been swimming for at least 2 years, you can skip being in water with them, but still follow rest of the procedure)

Please share with friends so we can spread the word! ⤵️

If you are ever concerned about your child's safety in a new pool, put on appropriate floaties
Maybe I should have renamed this post: "Why you won't see my kids on a 🦄 float" (@fiona_holloman sorry!)