Life & Style Feature Keeping kids safe in a swimming pool BY ERIKA PEREZ, SWIMMING COACH When your child is in the pool enjoying a good swimming session, as a parent, it is important for you to take proper safety measures to ensure that nothing untoward happens to your little one. professional swimming coach Erika Perez has these tips to share with parents. 56 BabyTalk | <strong>July</strong> <strong>2019</strong>
Life & Style Feature Second is whether the pool has a helping aide or lifeguard present for the children. If you are not swimming with your child, you need to make sure that the pool or the club house has a properly trained lifeguard. Although, as a swimming instructor, I highly recommend that parents to be present in the water with their children as that is the best way to ensure that your children are safe in water, but in case you are not able to be in the pool with your child, make sure there are no interruptions or distractions outside the pool for you. In simple words, you need to fully devote your time and attention to your children and keep an eye on them when they are in the water, lifeguard or no lifeguard. In this context, I want to share an experience that happened to me a few weeks ago. I think it is important for me to share this to caution parents about the dangers that can lurk in water when they do not pay attention. I took my kids for a swimming session a few weeks back, to the club house where we usually go. Being a swimming teacher, it is really easy for me to put on my swimming suit and play the role of an instructor as well as a companion to my kids in water. We were having an amazing time, when my elder son called for my attention saying, “mommy, mommy, I think that girl needs some help”. When I turned around to look at the direction he was pointing, I saw a little girl, about 4 or 5 years old was struggling at the other end of the pool. My son was the first one to reach her and as he had been trained, he used his legs to push her to the wall where she could then hold on to, and even in this ongoing chaos, it took the father of the child a few minutes to turn his attention from the phone in his hand to what was happening to his daughter. As a swimming teacher as well as a parent, I think it is important to remind parents about the safety measures in the pool that should be considered before a child goes swimming. The first thing I would say is “Prevention is better than cure”. What I mean here is if we take the time to ensure our kids are swimming in a safe environment with all the necessary attention, then we are already on the way to a great and safe time out with the kids. So here are some points that you should always keep in mind while taking your child for a swim. Assess the area Before you take your children to swim, it is extremely important to conduct a risk assessment of the pool. This is not a complicated task and there are just a few very easy things to keep in mind. First check the depth of the pool. Are you and your kids comfortable with this depth and in the event that something happens would you or your kids be able to get help or exit easily? Use the right equipment Another thing to be careful about is the float. If you are letting your child in the pool and there is no lifeguard or trainer available, you need to be careful with the floats. For instance, I believe the neck float is not a good idea and I would not recommend it, because toddlers’ heads are typically heavy in relation to their bodies, they usually can’t easily turn them to the side or lift them out of the water and if the child turns over or is upside down, they won’t be able to come back up on their own. Arm floats are good for safety as the children can freely move around with these floats, but it will delay their swimming abilities. Personally, I prefer Noodle floats, although I believe there is still a certain amount of risk associated with them too. Floats and all safety measures aside, I still believe if you can take your child to swim, it is best to be in the pool with them as there is no substitute for direct supervision. Be Prepared Finally, I would recommend doing a CPR course. It is something that if needed will give you the precious few seconds needed to save a person’s life. Get your paediatrician to recommend a course for you if you are interested. Remember, a child is especially at risk for drowning even in a small amount of water and it can happen in seconds. I would let this fact sink in to act as a caution for parents everywhere. Teaching children to swim is one of the best ways to protect them against drowning and swimming with your children is not only a great way to bond with them but also the best way to keep them safe. So, get into the pool and enjoy your time spent with your kids. You can use the exercises that I discussed in my previous article to have fun while also teaching your kids the fine art of swimming. BabyTalk | <strong>July</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 57
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