Any day now, the pools will open, and our lives will be filled with cheerful laughter and sounds of splashing as our childern 👶 enjoy the water. It is an excellent time of the year and a fun pastime. Rightfully so, our children should enjoy it. As with most activities, safety is a primary concern. However, fun and safety are not mutually exclusive. We can have even more fun when we know we are safe. Here are four safety tips that we think will help you this Summer.
1. Nothing substitutes a watchful eye 
Watching our children in the water is perhaps one of the most important tips on this list. As prepared as we can be, it is always important to have a line of sight 👀 of our little ones when having fun at the pool or beach 🏖 . We all know that accidents can happen quickly. Making sure that our eyes are on our kids lowers the risk of them being in danger significantly.
2. Water wings and Floaties are NOT your friends 
In the same way that we use training wheels on a bicycle 🚲 to keep our little ones from falling over, we would not expect those same training wheels to stop a vehicle from hitting them. Water wings and floaties work precisely the same. While these floatation devices may take some initial concern away, they provide swimmers with a false sense of security 🔒. If a swimmer 🏊♂️ gets used to them and then finds themself around water without their aid, they can be overly confident in their abilities and ultimately worse off. Water wings and floaties should never take the place of any of the tips in this list.
3. Know what a swimmer in distress looks like 
The terrible thing about drowning is that it is usually silent. Unlike movies 🎥 and T.V. shows 📺 where a swimmer is passionately trashing around and shouting for help, swimmers in distress are less vocal and unable to call for help. A lack of footing and water in the mouths removes the ability to call for help. Like we said in our first point, it is vitally important to keep a close eye on your little ones in the water. It is vital to recognize what it looks like when someone is in danger and in need of assistance. Our vigilance can save lives.
4. A real lifesaver 
Aside from being a fun pastime and summer activity, swimming can be a life-saving tool. Taking swim 🏊♂️ lessons will enable one to become more confident in the water. Once a swimmer is confident in their abilities, they will be confident in an outdoor pool, lakes, or even the ocean. It is about getting the basics down. Swim lessons will provide this confidence 👍 and all the swimming benefits that come with it.
Did we miss any tips that you have on your list? We would love to hear them. Comment below so that we might all learn from one another and become even safer in the water this Summer 🌞‼️