One size doesn't fit all in children's clothes -- or in water safety rules. Just as your parenting style changes during each phase of your child's life, the rules of water safety are different as your child matures.
"Toddlers and adolescent males are at the greatest risk of drowning, but it's important for parents to know the rules to keep all children safe," said Dr. Rohit Shenoi, attending physician in Texas Children's emergency room and assistant professor of pediatrics, Baylor college of Medicine. "A person is never too young or too old to follow the rules for water safety."
Don't
- Don't leave a child alone or with another young child in or close to a pool, spa, wading pool, bathtub, irrigation ditch or open standing water.
- Don't substitute infant bath seats or supporting rings for adult supervision during a bath.
- Don't use air-filled swimming aids.
- Don't rely on swimming lessons to "drownproof" your children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children are not developmentally ready to learn to swim until they are at least 4.
- Don't talk on the phone, socialize or do chores when you are supervising a child in water.
Do
- Immediately discard water and liquids from large containers around the house.
- Be sure that an adult is within arm's length, providing "touch supervision" when a child is in or near water.
- Surround your home pool with a four-sided fence that provides direct access to the pool from the house. Pool covers, alarms and other devices may offer some protection, but they do not substitute for fencing.
- Learn -- and make sure caregivers and pool owners know -- CPR and lifesaving techniques.
- Check to be sure pool owners keep a telephone and life-saving equipment poolside.
Don't
- Don't allow children to swim alone or without adult supervision.
- Don't let children with seizure disorders bathe without close supervision.
Do
- Be sure your children learn to swim.
- Have children wear personal flotation devices when swimming, boating, fishing or walking along the waterside.
- Remember that jumping or diving into water can cause injury. Teach children to jump feet first if they are not certain of the depth of the water.
Do
- Follow the rules for children 5 to 12 year of age.
- Talk to your children about the dangers of alcohol or drug use during swimming, diving or boating.
- Be sure your children learn CPR and lifesaving techniques.
