Parenting Australia

Pool Safety

The holidays are here and as we head to the beaches and pools to celebrate in the traditional Aussie way, Parenting Australia with the support of Royal Lifesaving would like to bring you the following messages to assist in keeping your children water safe over the festive season.

From all at Parenting Australia we would like to wish you happy holidays and a healthy, prosperous and peaceful 2009.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Supervise your child

Supervision is the first “Keep Watch” action in preventing children under 5 years of age from drowning. Many drowning deaths happen in those few seconds while you answer the phone or a knock on the door.
What is Good Supervision?

There are three key elements of active supervision:

Proximity

Always be within arms reach of your child particularly when they are under 5 years of age.

Attention

Always keep your attention on your child particularly if they are under 10 years of age. This is not an occasional glance while reading the newspaper.

Continuity

No matter how old your child is, you should check on them on a regular basis. The younger the child the more often you should check and if they are under 5 years of age you should never leave their presence.

What action can I as a parent or carer take?

* Assign an adult "Keep Watch Supervisor" to monitor the pool/spa area, especially during social gatherings.
* Assign a second adult to maintain constant visual contact with children in the pool/spa area. Don’t assume someone else is watching a child.
* Never leave a child alone near a pool, spa, bathtub, water-filled bucket, pond or any standing water in which a child’s nose and mouth may be submerged (it only takes a few centimeters of water).
* Keep long hair tied up
* Don’t rely on swimming lessons, flotation devices or other equipment to make a child "water safe".
* Do NOT rely on older siblings or other children to supervise toddlers.
* Do NOT allow children to play in the pool/spa area without adult supervision.
* Instruct babysitters about potential hazards to young children in and around swimming pools and the need for constant active supervision.
* Communicate pool safety measures with the babysitter and train them in infant/child CPR

Rob Bradley CEO Royal Lifesaving said, "We’re concerned that some people are becoming complacent. You can never be complacent with this kind of issue. At the end of the day it’s the parent’s responsibility to ensure there’s a safe aquatic environment - not the child."

Add Comment