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Child Safety in Water-Abundant America: All You Need to Know

Child Safety in Water

America is blessed with water everywhere, with its rivers and lakes, and its three magnificent coastlines. And there are water parks and attractions, and the countless ponds and landscaping water features that are part of modern life. For kids, learning to swim in such an environment is an important life skill, not just for basic safety but also for the abundant recreational options available to them – vacation choices get pretty easy when everyone loves to swim.

The earlier that kids can get started with swimming lessons, the better. While you may not let your child swim in a pool unattended, there are many other water sources that they may encounter when they are out playing. Even if you don’t live near a beach, there are public and private pools, lakes, ponds, streams, water drainage retention ponds and numerous areas of standing water that can be an attractive place for kids to play, but can also be quite dangerous.

Water Safety

Enrolling children in swim classes does more than just teach water safety. Swimming helps them develop motor skills, muscle control and often will develop into a lifelong love of water and water sports. And during the course of learning how to maneuver and control their bodies in the water, children also learn to appreciate the power and danger of water. They will learn breathing and kicking techniques that can help them if they do fall into water unexpectedly.

When Should My Child Start Swim Lessons?

The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that children can start swimming lessons as early as age one, and there are now many programs across the country that are tailored specifically to teaching infants swimming skills. Basic starter skills include learning how to roll in the water and learning to float safely. During these early lessons, a parent or adult will always be within arm’s reach, and these sessions are also a great bonding time between parents and their children as, many times, they take the classes together.

Water Dangers

While many parents are very aware of the need for safety around pool areas, there are other risky places to consider, including the many drainage ditches, reclamation pools, and runoff areas that probably exist around your neighborhood. The leading cause of injury-related deaths in children is drowning. For teens, drowning most often occurs around lakes and rivers. Kids find green spaces in urban environments to play, and a stormwater retention pond may look like a safe enough place to hang out but it can be very easy to fall in – such ponds are required by municipalities for most developments now, and they can be much deeper than they seem, and with slippery footing around the edges.

Many homeowner associations in subdivisions are required to manage water management ponds required by local codes. HOAs are frequently poorly organized, often falling behind with their required paperwork filings for example, and very often unaware of how a landscaped water feature such as a community pond , or a fenced-off drainage system can fall into disrepair. Vegetation grows unnoticed, weeds get slippery and dangerous, and accidents happen – stories of drowning are quite common. If a child can swim, some of these accidents can be avoided.

Water dangers are increasingly being recognized. After an eight-year-old boy drowned in 2012 in eight feet of water in a stormwater management system behind an apartment complex in Ohio, city officials revised their codes to require more safety measures built into such ponds. And Florida, which has the most ponds of any state, is also waking up to how quickly a small child can get in trouble. But America still contains untold thousands of such water hazards. The best defense against them may lie with kids knowing how to swim and learning the difference between safe water and hazardous water.

Outdoor Water Safety

Swimming at a lake or the ocean is very different from swimming in a pool. Of course, young children   should never be allowed to swim unsupervised, and adults must learn how to supervise – no checking the phone or losing attention when you’re the designated water watcher, for example, because swimmers in trouble are usually silent, and distress can occur quickly.

Swimming with a buddy is always a good idea and it can prevent an accident. Both people need to watch for any jagged rocks or dangerous areas. Foot protection such as aqua socks is a good idea. Swimmers should watch for boaters in the area. At the beach, test the waves and potential undertow. The habits of checking for water dangers come not from a sense of fear but from a natural ease with being in the water as an accomplished swimmer, and knowing what’s fun and what’s likely to be hard work.

We live in communities that are surrounded by water, and we love to be around the water. The risk of drowning should not create a fear of water but a skill at being in it. Teaching kids to swim and letting them enjoy the fun of water sports and recreations is the best safety plan. And learning these skills as a parent is wise also. Learning to spot water hazards is useful too. If you see unprotected or overgrown ponds or canals in your neighborhood, sound the alarm with local authorities. These steps keep everyone safe.

Article Submitted By Community Writer

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