What's A Parent to Think About … Pool Safety

It's that time of year when everyone has summer fun on their mind. Every country music station has started their rotation of this year's supply of songs about … well, everything good about summer days and nights. But it's also the time of year for parents to remind themselves of what they need to do to ensure that their children have a safe summer, especially in the water and particularly in pools.

The sobering news is that drowning remains a leading cause of death for youth – infants, toddlers, school-age kids, and even teenagers. What can be done to prevent tragedies this summer? A good place to start is to get familiar with the guidelines offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). You can visit its website (or just search out “AAP and pool safety”), but be sure to get the latest guidelines, which were released this month. Here I present a brief overview of the five most important things to keep in mind.

First, you should never leave small children alone in a pool. In this case, never really means never. It only takes a few seconds for small children to find themselves underwater, and if you are not there, you will not be able to do something about it in those critical seconds (yes, seconds, not minutes). There are two additional things to keep in mind. Do not assume that an older child can supervise a younger child. You need an adult there to intervene if necessary. And, of course, this guideline applies to all situations where water is available (a lake, a brook, etc.), not just pools.

Second, it is not enough to stay with your child – you need to be close by. How close? Very close. You will read about “touch supervision,” meaning close enough to touch your child. Why is this? Again, a serious problem can happy in a matter of seconds. Here's an example.

A few years ago, on a family vacation, my wife and I were talking to a couple at a hotel pool. Our daughter (who was about 7 years old at the time) was swimming, and the couple's 2-year-old was on the edge of the pool. The dad was telling us about the mom's experience as a champion swimmer in high school and college, while the mom was attending to their infant daughter. Next thing you know, our daughter is yelling that the 2-year-old needs help – she was underwater. The mom put her ability to use, diving in and getting her daughter out before any real consequence occurred. But you get the point of how fast things can happen and why you should be close enough to touch with a small child.

Third, don't assume that any inflatable device (such as a “floatie”) is sufficient to keep your child above water. The only thing that is reliable is a life jacket. By the way, that 2-year-old at the hotel pool I just told you about was wearing floaties on her arms.

Fourth, it is a great idea to think about swimming lessons for your kids if they don't know how to swim. The AAP has recommended swimming lessons for kids 5 years of age and up. The recent announcement, however, also acknowledges that kids 4 years of age and under may profit from swimming lessons. In the past, the AAP has not been convinced that swim lessons for toddlers were effective – but there is emerging evidence that they may be. As is often the case, individual children vary tremendously in how easily they take to swimming lessons. But the bottom line is to try to be sure your child learns how to swim.

Fifth, it is important to keep these principles in mind when your child is not with you. It may be awkward, but if your child is going to spend time at someone else's home, you should have a discussion about pool safety, so that you are sure they are on the same page with you. You need to know your child will be safe.

We all look forward to summer and get giddy when it is finally here. A bit of precaution and reminders at the start of this season may well help you to make sure that this summer will be safe for your children.

Richard Rende, Ph.D., lives in Dartmouth. He is a developmental psychologist and research professor at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His research program focuses on family influences on the development of behavior problems in childhood, adolescence and the transition to adulthood. His work has been supported by the National Institute on Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The opinions expressed in this column are his and his alone.