Tips for water safety
Simply teaching your child to swim doesn’t mean that your child is safe in water. It’s important to bear in mind that developmentally, children are not ready for swimming lessons until they are at least four years of age. When your child is in a pool, protect her by supervising her constantly, be prepared in case of emergency and follow these pool safety tips at all times:
- Make sure adults are trained in life-saving techniques and CPR so they can rescue a child if necessary.
- Try to avoid letting your child use swimming aids such as floaters or arm bands as they give children a false sense of security and are not comparable to approved life vests.
- If infants or toddlers are in or near a source of water, an adult should be within an arm’s length at all times.
Safety tips for beaches, rivers and lakes
- Hold your toddler’s hand if paddling at the edge of a lake or beach.
- Always stay within reach of your child when he is playing in or near the sea, lakes or rivers
- Only swim if life guards are present and swim between the flags at all times.
- Make sure that your child knows how to react if she finds herself in difficulty, don’t panic, stay calm, raise an arm and signal for help.
