Water safety awareness teaches young children:
• Don’t go near the water without an adult present.
Period!
• Swim with a buddy.
• Don’t play or horse around near the water.
Water safety awareness teaches adults:
• Learn CPR and maintain your skills. • Have a working phone at poolside (
and don’t be ON IT!)
• Have a life ring or hook close to poolside.
Outside Water Safety Rules:
• A child can drown in 2 inches of water. It can take less than 2 minutes. And it’s quiet…..so EYES must be on children at all times…!
• Consider emptying ponds until your children can swim. If not, gate them off on all 4 sides. • Empty all buckets, wading pools and bathtubs immediately after use. • NEVER leave children alone or unattended (or in the care of another child) around water. Period. NO DISTRACTIONS! • Have a plan when you need to take a break for ANYTHING! • Pull your child out of the pool with you. • If you are having a pool party (or attending one) take turns with your other adult friends monitoring the children. • ANY adult in the presence of swimming children MUST know how to swim.
Inside Water Safety Rules:
• Put safety guards on bathroom door handles and latch toilet lids if toddlers at home. • Never turn your back on a child in the tub. • Teach children to keep out of the bathroom unless they are directly supervised by an adult. • All parents and caregivers should be Certified in CPR. CPR technique is now the SAME for both adults, children and infants. Call 911, then start 30 compressions FIRST (done to the rhythm of BeeGees Staying Alive) followed by head tilt and 2 breaths, repeat the cycle until help arrives. You can get CPR certified from the Red Cross, local hospitals, and many other organizations. Update your skills yearly!
JJ Levenstein, MD FAAP, is a Board Certified Pediatrician. You can take parenting classes with instruction by Dr. Levenstein online by visiting
www.momassembly.com. Also, find helpful parenting products at
www.mdmoms.com.