Considering inviting one or more of your children’s friends over to go pool swimming for the first time? Then you need to understand their swimming skills. While invited children always need to be watched closely, it’s important for you to understand how well your child’s friends can handle being in or around a swimming pool. Pool safety for children should never be underrated, as swimming pool accidents unfortunately happen all the time.
Child drownings can be prevented. The Red Cross tells us to never leave a young child unattended near water, to teach children to always ask permission to go near water, and to not trust a child’s life to another child.
The Importance of Swimming Safety When Inviting Friends Over
Age matters, making it essential for parents to keep a close eye on their child and their child’s friends no matter what their ages. Children around the age of five should always be in arms reach when in a pool area. Older children who know how to swim properly still need to be closely watched, as unsupervised swimming is when accidents tend to happen most.
4 Questions
Below is a list of 4 questions every parent needs to ask their children’s friend’s in order to understand their swimming ability, as well as their overall swimming knowledge.
- Have You Ever Taken Swimming Lessons?
Parents need to understand whether or not their child’s friends have taken swimming lessons before, as this allows them to have a better understanding on how well they can swim. When their reply is yes, parents still need to watch them closely, but can feel more confident in their ability to properly swim. When their reply is no, it’s important for parents to closely watch them every single second they’re in the pool area.
- Do You Know How To Tread Water?
It’s important for every child to understand how to tread water, as this is a basic water safety skill. In fact, treading water is one of the first things children are taught when taking swimming lessons. This potentially life-saving skill is one that every child should know and if they don’t, they can be taught the proper way to tread water in about half an hour.
- Can You Hold Your Breath Underwater?
One of the things every child needs to learn how to do when swimming in a pool is to hold their breath underwater. This is something parents need to know, as if a child does not know how to hold their breath underwater, that means they should always be seen above the water line.
- Are You Comfortable Swimming in the Deep End?
Many children feel confident swimming in a pool, as long as they’re able to touch the bottom. Children who express they’re comfortable swimming in the deep end of a pool are more likely to have more swimming experience, and therefore be a better swimmer.
Preparation equals Prevention
It’s essential for you as a pool owner to ask your children’s friends questions in order to understand their swimming abilities the first time they come over to go swimming. Be sure to not just take their word for it if they claim they’re a great swimmer, as their young lives are in your hands. Even if after watching the children swimming for a while and they seem to be doing well, it’s still essential for you to watch them closely every single second, as you never know when a swimming pool accident or tragedy will occur.
Never, ever underestimate the importance of kids pool safety!
