Keeping Children Safe in and Around Water

Playing in the pool, the ocean, and even the bathtub can be good fun and exercise for a child. But did you know that a child can drown in only an inch of water? Hundreds of kids drown each year, so practicing good water safety is critical. Three important things you can do to keep your child safe are:

• Always supervise your child in the water—even if your child knows how to swim.

• If you have a pool, use multiple barriers to keep your child away from the pool when you’re not around. A four-sided fence is an ideal barrier.

• Learn CPR.

An easy way to help keep your child safe is to learn infant and child CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). This simple skill could save your child’s life:

• All caregivers, including grandparents, should know CPR.

• To find a class, check for one given by your local Red Cross chapter at www.redcross.org. You can also find the American Heart Association course catalog at cpr.heart.org/en/course-catalog-search. You can also contact your local fire department for CPR classes.

Swimming safety tips

Supervise at all times

• Have a “water watcher” while kids are swimming. This adult’s sole job is to watch the kids. He or she should not talk on the phone, read, or cook while supervising.

• For young children, make sure an adult is in the water, within an arm’s distance of kids.

• Make sure all adults who supervise children know how to swim.

• If a child can’t swim, pay extra attention while supervising. Also don’t rely on inflatable toys to keep your child afloat. Instead, use a Coast Guard-certified life jacket. And make sure the child stays in shallow water where his or her feet reach the bottom.

• Have children wear a Coast Guard-certified life jacket whenever they are in or around natural bodies of water, even if they know how to swim. This includes lakes and the ocean.

Have your child take swimming lessons

• Give lessons according to your child’s developmental level, and when he or she is ready. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting lessons for many children at age 1.

• Make sure lessons are ongoing and given by a qualified instructor.

• Keep in mind that a child who has had lessons and knows how to swim can still drown. Take safety precautions with every child.

Make sure every child follows these swimming rules

• Only swim in designated swimming areas in pools, lakes, and other bodies of water.

• Always swim with a buddy, never alone.

• Never run near a pool.

• Dive only when and where it’s posted that diving is OK. Never dive into water if posted rules don’t allow it, or if the water is less than 9 feet deep. And never dive into a river, a lake, or the ocean.

• Listen to the adult in charge. Always follow the rules.

• If someone is having trouble swimming, don’t go in the water. Instead try to find something to throw to the person to help him or her, such as a life preserver.

Follow these other safety tips

• Have swimmers with long hair tie it up before they go swimming in a pool. This helps keep the hair from getting tangled in a drain.

• Keep toys out of the pool when not in use. This prevents your child from reaching for them from the poolside.

• Keep a phone near the pool for emergencies.

• Don't allow children to swim outdoors during thunderstorms or lightning storms.