3 Essential Swimming Safety Skills You Need to Teach Your Kids Right Now

As parents, teaching our kids essential swimming safety skills from an early age is important. With the warmer weather coming soon, swimming will be an engaging activity for kids to participate in. But with the potential danger that swimming can bring, we must ensure our kids are water-smart and know how to stay safe in the pool.

In this article, we’ll discuss three essential swimming safety skills you should teach your kids. It’s important that your children learn these skills before they start exploring the water so they can stay safe and alert in the pool. We’ll also share some tips on how to teach these skills safely and effectively.

Overview of Drowning Sources

Drowning is the fifth leading cause of death for people aged 1-14 in the United States. Approximately one thousand children in this age range die from drowning each year, while thousands suffer serious injuries. In addition to this tragic number, over 6,500 non-fatal drownings occur in the same demographic yearly. Parents must understand the possible causes of drowning and learn how to safeguard their kids.

Important Swimming Safety Skills

Floating

Kids need to learn how to float on their backs for long periods without any assistance or help from others. Floating is an effective way for swimmers of all abilities and ages to rest if they become exhausted. This skill is especially crucial for young swimmers who may lack the endurance required for prolonged swimming sessions. Beginner swimmers should practice floating on their backs using baby pool floats or other floatation devices until they become comfortable with the technique.

Treading Water

Treading water is another essential swimming skill your child needs to stay afloat in deep water situations. This can be taught by having your child practice kicking their legs while keeping their head above water and maintaining their balance by moving their arms slightly while they tread in place. It is important to explain that when treading water, your child should not stop kicking their legs, or they may sink below the surface.

Responsive Behavior

Responsive behavior can also help prevent drowning incidents by teaching your child never to enter bodies of water without permission and only if an adult is always present. Additionally, have a conversation about recognizing unsafe situations like shallow waters with no lifeguard present or currents that may be too strong. This will ensure that your child knows when it’s time to get out of the water safely before a dangerous situation arises.

Tips for Improving Swimming Safety

Parental Supervision

Despite all the preventive measures you take, parental supervision is still crucial when it comes to avoiding any kind of tragedy in or around bodies of water. Always keep a close watch over your child’s activities, even if you believe they are capable swimmers. Setting limits for playtime near pools is also key in preventing potential dangers.

Safety Equipment

Regarding pool safety equipment, it is important to install barriers such as fences, covers, and alarms around your pool or spa and to have visible signs indicating that an area is off-limits. Investing in lifesaving devices such as rescue tubes or throwable rescue cushions is also advisable. Additionally, you can use swimming pool floats such as baby pool floats or other more permanent floatation devices to help keep young swimmers safe.

Lifejackets are also essential tools when teaching kids how to swim and should be worn when children are near bodies of water that may contain deep spots. Even if your child is an experienced swimmer, lifejackets are still recommended for extra safety and reassurance.

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons are highly recommended for children who need assistance learning how to swim safely. Several types of lessons are available depending on your child’s age and skill level. Group lessons allow young children to learn how to swim in a social environment with other students at the same skill level while one-on-one lessons offer a more personalized approach that allows instructors to focus solely on your child’s needs. For older children who are already adept swimmers, private coaching sessions focus on improving technique while providing valuable reinforcement on proper safety measures near pools and other open bodies of water.

Conclusion

Teaching our children essential swimming safety skills is vital to ensure they stay safe when near bodies of water. By discussing drowning risks, equipping our yards with the necessary safety equipment, practicing key swimming safety skills with our kids, setting limits for playtime near bodies of water, and enrolling them in swimming lessons, we can help reduce the risk of drowning for our children. Our duty as parents is to keep our kids safe. Teaching them proper swimming safety skills is one way to do that.