Keeping Kids Safe Around the Water

When living in Los Angeles, chances are you will come in contact with a large body of water at some point during the summer. If you have kids, their safety is a priority–but what are the best methods of keeping your children safe? Don’t depend on lifeguards.

If you’re in a public pool, chances are there’s up to a hundred other people also in the pool. While the lifeguards are very well-trained, it’s possible that they could miss a single child being in distress due to the other factors they have to focus on, from other parents asking questions to make sure that kids aren’t running and diving. The best thing to do is to act as your child’s personal lifeguard and accompany them.

Make sure flotation devices are Coast Guard approved.

While a pool noodle, kick board, or inner tube may seem like a suitable flotation device, they are not ideal. Life jackets and other devices that get buckled or tied around your child are better ways of making sure that in an emergency, they cannot escape the grip of the person in the water. This ensures that even if you step away from the pool for a minute, your child can’t escape their water wings and risk drowning.

Talk with your child about the rules of the pool.

The best method of responding to poolside accidents is preventing them from ever occurring. Explaining the rules (don’t go in the water alone, don’t run on the pool deck, no diving, etc) and why they’re rules is an excellent method of prevention. Explanations make it so your child understands the concept, instead of just feeling like you as the parent are laying down rules to strip away the fun from the activity.

If you or your child do experience a pool accident or drowning injury, contact us to set up a cost-free consultation to determine the legalities connected to the incident and what we can do for you.