Safety is the most important reason to teach your kids to swim, but don’t forget your own safety in the water. In honor of Labor Day, here are important water safety tips for kids and grownups alike.
- Don’t swim alone. Swim with a friend.
- Don’t drink while swimming (or doing other water activities like boating or waterskiing) or supervising kids.
- Don’t use inflatable armbands or other toy-like flotation devices in place of life jackets.
- Don’t dive in shallow water or in water of unknown depth. Spinal injuries from diving into shallow water are common in both kids and adults.
- Don’t run on the pool deck. It can be slippery, which makes falling likely. It’s a hard enough surface to hurt you badly. That combination of slippery and hard could knock you unconscious and send you flying into the pool, so it’s a drowning risk, too. Walk on the deck instead of running.
Of course, in case of emergency, always dial 911 immediately.
Happy Labor Day, and have fun in the water.