The summer has arrived and whether you plan on travelling abroad or dare to hit our cold shores in the next few months, it’s always a good idea to prepare for your little one’s first time in the water. Here are some great tips on how to prepare your tot for swimming this summer:
Shallow waters
Make sure to keep your toddler in shallow waters and within your grasps at all times. Even if your tot is wearing a flotation device and the waters seem quite shallow, your little one can still easily find a way to get into some trouble.
Safety
It’s important to make sure that your toddler is covered from head to toe in safety gear and thankfully there are plenty of flotation devices specially designed to keep our little ones afloat. They can vary from water wings to actual mini lifejackets. Some parents like as an extra precaution to use both, but make sure it doesn’t restrict your little one’s movement in the water too much. It’s important to remember that toy flotation devices should never be used as a safety device either.
Sun protection
Even if you aren’t heading outside, it’s always a good idea to place a mini wetsuit on your toddler instead of a swimsuit. The wetsuit can offer not only protection from the chlorine in swim waters but in the event of outdoor swimming it is also great for sun protection. Make sure your little one is also wearing a swim hat even if outside as their little heads will always need protection. Make sure to completely cover your toddler in sunscreen as water can reflect the light from the sun and make it a lot easier for them to get burnt.
Secondary drowning
Secondary drowning is rare and is usually something many people are unable to pick up on straight away. Secondary drowning unlike primary drowning is caused by an injury to someone’s lungs where only a little bit of water is inhaled and often doesn’t cause any distress till hours after the water incident occurred. While rare it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for this, especially if your little one gets into trouble in the water. They may initially seem fine but it’s always a good idea to take them to the doctor as a precaution.
Teaching your tot to swim
There’s no race to teach your little one to swim but it’s always good idea to make sure they aren’t afraid of the water either. Encourage them to learn some little techniques such as paddling to holding them in the water while they kick their legs. The sooner they are taught these movements, the better.
