How can I help my child stay safe in and around water?
This question may seem a bit odd since the obvious answer is "use a life jacket" and "take swimming lessons" but what I was wondering is what else can I do to help keep my child safe when they are in and around water? What useful things should they know and is there other equipment or techniques that I can use to help prevent drowning?
Answers ( 1 )
Watch him or her. It is difficult to do because it's the beach/pool and I want to read my book and look at the clouds, and lay on the lounger and talk to my friend, and-and-and. But you have to actually watch your child when your child is in the water.
Now, if your child knows how to swim- either lessons or clocking lots of water time- you don't have to stay quite so glued; but those water wings are mostly a waste, and while a life jacket is very safe, it does not allow your child to learn much about water safety or swimming. . So, really, your best tool outside of eyes on at all times, is the child knowing how to swim- and you knowing the conditions in the water. Pools don't have rip tides- but they do have sudden drop-offs and concrete edges and steps.
Make sure your child can swim, and you should be able to read a page- or maybe two if they're short- between visual checks.