The dog days of summer are upon us! It has been a brutal summer in Charlotte, with a record 17 straight days over 90 degrees. With temperatures like this everyone enjoys cooling off in a pool or at the beach. Check out Blake taking it easy in the pool!
As fun as this can be, it is essential to remain vigilant when it comes to water safety with a baby or toddler. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children ages 1-4. Additionally, about half of drownings occur within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. Drowning is a silent killer, occurring quietly and quickly, often within seconds. The waving, splashing, and yelling associated with TV drowning is rarely seen in real life.
Here are a few drowning-prevention tips:
- Never leave a child unattended around water – A child can drown in a bathtub, toilet, bucket, pool, lake…any body of water. If you must run into the house, either take your child with you or assign a trustworthy adult to keep a careful eye on your child.
- Designate a water watcher – If at the pool or at the beach with a number of adults, have each take turns (15-30 minutes) watching the children – no cell phone, iPad, magazines, books, people watching, etc. Every single second, their eyes on only on the children.
- Teach your child to swim – Babies as young as four months can enroll in swimming lessons. Learning to swim can be a life-saving skill. Just having your child know how to float on their back could be a potential life saver. Be sure that you, or those you put in charge of watching your child, know how to swim and have the physical ability to save a child’s life if necessary.
- Recognize water toys as water toys – Floaties, noodles, and plastic inner tubes will not protect your child from drowning. They are designed to be water toys, not life-saving devices.
What other water safety tips do you have? Please, share!
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