10 Swimming Pool Safety Tips for Kids in Summer – Read Before you Dive

The summer months are finally here.

Are you dreaming of jumping into the swimming pool? I am sure your child is.

But are you thinking long and hard before taking your child to the pool? Are you worried that the fun trips to the swimming pool will make your child sick?

Your concern for your child’s health is not misplaced. The pool can be a hotbed of infections and diseases. And your child can fall sick if you are not very careful.

What are the health problems that a child can get from swimming in the pool

There are several health problems and dangers from swimming in the pool, and every parent must be aware of these problems to prevent them. If you are taking your child swimming take precautions against the following –

1. Skin infections
2. Sunburn
3. Eye problems
4. Ear problems
5. Drowning
6. Other accidents

Safety Precautions in Swimming

Detailed article follows after the video

1. Check that the pool is clean – In the summer – water safety should be a prime concern because during the summer months many pools are overused. Swimming pools are not adequately maintained during the summer months because they cannot be closed down and because too many people are swimming in them all the time. In addition – many pools in smaller set ups may not have a functioning filtration and circulation system. And many may be calling a stationary water body without any water exchange facility – a swimming pool. Ensure that the pool your child swims in – is not dirty or poorly maintained. To ensure water safety before your child jumps into the pool – first – look at the water to see if it is cloudy. Then touch the sides of the pool – they should not be slimy. If the pool looks or feels dirty – do not allow your child to enter the pool.
2. Apply sunscreen – Protecting your child from the strong summer sun is a must. Make sure your child applies sunscreen before entering the pool. It is a good idea to use water proof sunscreen. But even if you use water proof sun screen, the sun screen must be re-applied after an hour in the pool.
3. Shower before you enter the pool – Insist that your child takes a shower before he/she enters the pool. It is a good idea to reduce the number of germs we carry into the pool. This is because if each person enters the pool with an unwashed body full of germs – the germ load of the pool may go up to a highly infectious level.
4. Wear goggles for eye protection – Ask your child to wear goggles. The eyes are exposed to chlorinated water for long periods when swimming in the pool, and it is a good idea to protect the eyes by wearing goggles. Goggles reduce the contact between the eyes and the pool water.
5. Don’t swim with a cold – Don’t let your child swim if he has a cold. A child who has a cold is infectious to the others in the pool. In addition he/she can damage his/her ears while swimming with a blocked nose. A blocked nose increases the ear pressure – and swimming with increased ear pressure can cause the ear drum to burst.
6. Wear a cap to cover the ears – The ears are under water when a child swims. And problems may appear in the ear because of water entering the ear. Wearing a swimming cap that covers the ears cannot prevent the entry of water into the ears completely – but it does reduce it to some extent.
7. Change out of the swim suit after swimming – It is important to change out of the swim suit after an hour or two of swimming. Wearing a wet suit for long hours increases the exposure of the skin to contaminated water and your child can end up getting a rash.
8. Wash the swim suit often – don’t just dry it. Swim suits rarely make it to the laundry pile because we imagine that they are clean because they have just come out of the water – but that is not true. An unwashed swim suit accumulates germs and can infect the skin and private parts.
9. Don’t drink swimming pool water – When children are first learning how to swim – they tend to swallow a lot of water. A lot of water is also swallowed by children in fun because they don’t know the consequences of swallowing the water.When you explain swimming pool safety tips to your child – include the explanation of how the pool water can cause various diseases to your child and make sure that your child doesn’t drink or swallow pool water.
10. Put away your cell phone – It is vital to constantly look out for the safety of your child when swimming. This is the most important pool safety tip for parents If your child is in the pool – be around. Never leave your child unattended at the pool. And when you decide to watch over your child – remember never to look at your mobile phone. Mobile phones have the potential to distract us and transport us to a distant place and that can be very unsafe for the child.

Adopting adequate safety and hygiene practices and taking appropriate precautions while swimming is very important.Before your child enters the pool, while your child is in the pool and after your child comes out of the pool – go through the best practices listed above and implement them

Have a safe and happy summer full of long refreshing swims with your child.