Top 10 water safety tips

Summer is here and making a splash – is your family water-safe? YMCA Swim School shares ten tips for swimming safe this summer.

With summer in full swing we are drawn to the water to cool off, but it’s not all fun and games when you’re aware of our local drowning statistics. New Zealand has one of the highest drowning rates per capita in the OECD. Seven children aged under five drowned in 2017 compared to three in 2016. Even one preventable drowning is one too many, so we’ve called upon Karla McCaughan, award-winning Swim School Manager for YMCA in Auckland, to share her top ten tips for keeping your family water-safe this summer.

Top ten tips for water safety:

1. Put away your phone

Make sure you actively supervise the children swimming at all times. It can take a matter of seconds for a child to get into trouble in water. Keep your eyes on them and if you can’t keep them within sight and within reach, have them stay out of the water until you’re able to go in with them. Have a designated supervisor for parties and family events so no one is confused as to who is watching the kids.

2. Teach hesitation

Teach your children that they are not allowed to play in, on or around water unless you are with them. 99% of drownings in this age group happen when children “find” water whilst unattended. Teach your children to ask themselves “Have I got an adult with me?”

3. Learn to swim

Make sure the kids and yourself are confident and competent in the water. Head to your local pool to practice and book the kids swim school lessons. Choose an AUSTSWIM Recognised Swim Centre or Swimming New Zealand Quality Swim School. These Swim Schools are guaranteed to deliver a programme that employs teachers with an industry recognised qualification. A good Swim School will deliver a programme that not only teaches swimming but basic water safety and survival skills.

Handy hint: YMCA has teamed up with Plunket and Auckland City Council to offer half price lessons in off-peak times to Plunket clients with children aged 3 months to 5 years. The 160-year-old not-for-profit has won the AUSTSWIM Aotearoa Teacher of Infant & Preschool Aquatics three years in a row so you can rest assured they know their stuff!

4. Educate

Make sure the kids are truly aware of the dangers of water. Have an open chat with your children about what they would do if they saw a friend struggling in the water. It is important that they know not to go in the water to try and rescue someone else. Talk about what items could be thrown to someone in difficulty to help them float, like a ball or a chilly bin lid. Teach them to tell an adult immediately.

5. Spot the hazards

Work as a family to identify all water hazards in and around your home. There are many items that may present a drowning threat. Things like buckets, even pet bowls, anything that can contain water. Always stay with children during bath time and minimise distractions like answering the phone. Empty the bath tub after use and keep all plugs out of reach.

6. Don’t trust water toys as a safety device

Never rely on water rings or inflatable toys for safety. Toys are great for having fun with when supervised swimming but will not protect your child from drowning. They must also be removed from the pool when not in use; this may help prevent a toddler accidently falling in while trying to recover a toy.

7. Check your home pool

Make sure if you or your friends own a pool that it matches the safety standards and that it is safely fenced with securely lockable gates. Never leave anything that your child can climb on by the pool fence, ensure the gate swings back to closed after being opened and have a child proof latch. Always empty and store paddling pools after use.

8. Know the beach rules

As soon as you get to the beach, look around and familiarise yourself with the swimming area. It’s also a great time to remind the kids of what is around them and even outline a ‘swim zone’ that they shouldn’t swim past or beyond. If it is a beach with red and yellow flags, make sure they only swim in that area. This is where the life guards patrol, and indicates the safest place to swim on that beach.

9. Make life jackets a must

Children should wear life jackets at all times when on a boat, at the wharf or near any body of water. The life jacket must be the right size, tight fitting and worn correctly. Accompanying adults should wear life jackets, not only for their own protection but to set a good example.

10. Know the supervising rules

Children 10 years and under must be actively supervised by a caregiver 17 years or older. Active supervision means at a close distance in sight and earshot, watching at all times and able to provide immediate help if needed. Children four years and younger must be accompanied by an adult within arm’s reach.

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